Elmhurst Public Library opened in 1916 in the midst of a snowstorm. The library’s mission is, like many others, to be a place that represents the heart of the community. They offer a variety of resources for reading, research, reference, and creation.
The big question was how to provide a platform of discovery for those resources to the people who needed them most. With more and more people needing access to library resources away from physical libraries, websites are more and more important.
However, for Elmhurst Public Library, the task of restructuring their website wasn’t so simple.
The Goals
The rich history of the Elmhurst Public Library meant not only was a clear goal needed, but there was an important need for accessibility on the site. With their old website being all but unusable on mobile phones and tablets, the client had an immediate desire to increase how accessible their site was.
By doing so, Elmhurst Public Library wanted to increase website traffic and, of course, encourage Elmhurst residents to use the online services. The only issue was that their old website made all of the magnificent resources they did have hidden and tucked away in hundreds of pages of content.
The Challenges
The Elmhurst Public Library has been around for over 100 years, and with it means website data spanning the entire lifespan of the internet. In fact, the library had over 300 individual pages of content, tools, and resources. Even using menus, it would be all but impossible to navigate through every page when you want to simply look up a book or research your family history.
The website was also nearly impossible to use on mobile phones as the website wasn’t designed with mobile viewers in mind. In addition, with there being so many pages of information, finding what you needed quickly and easily was a difficult task.
For more information on why mobile responsive websites are crucial for business, check out our article on Mobile Website Design
Elmhurst Public Library came to us asking for a solution to their website issues, charging us with building them a website that made every resource as accessible as possible to the entire Elmhurst, Illinois community.
The Results We Achieved Together
The Elmhurst Public Library was soon able to welcome thousands of Elmhurst residents to its website each month. We at CyberOptik were able to rebuild their website from the ground up with mobile usage in mind, ensuring each and every resident of Elmhurst would be able to access the library’s countless resources at a moment’s notice.
The custom mobile interface we designed for Elmhurst allowed patrons to select popular features with a single touch, making it as easy as possible for residents to find the information they were after.
There was not only a focus on mobile-friendliness but on ease of access, too. Better navigation systems and menus made it possible to find information much faster than before. Menus were logical, easy to follow, and encouraged residents to browse around and see all of the resources available to them, even if they couldn’t physically get to the library.
Are You A Chicagoland Library Looking For A Reliable Website Partner?
CyberOptik’s web design services help you optimize your WordPress website for success. Whether you are looking for a basic brochure website or an expansive library site, we have the expertise needed to make it happen.
We also offer WordPress Website Conversion services for those looking to transition from another CMS. Your new site will be search engine friendly and you can choose to keep the exact same design or have it updated for a redesign or re-brand!
Get in touch today to learn more about our diverse range of web design services and let’s get your business in focus.
