Moving Into The Future

“Libraries are some of the most vital gathering spaces, they are a source of knowledge, and they are a source of freedom… Our family thought this library was so much more than a building with books, it was an invitation to dream and expand our horizons. That’s what libraries do.”

— Mike Bloomberg, Founder, Bloomberg Philanthropies

THE DREAM OF SOMETHING BIG

The Medford Library, founded in 1855 in the town of Medford, Massachusetts, was initially housed in the donated mansion of a prominent and wealthy early American shipbuilder, Thatcher Magoun of New England. Over a century and a half later in 2022, the library, through the generous donation from Bloomberg Philanthropies, nearly doubled in size, with a newly constructed, futuristic learning and gathering space housing over 123,000 volumes and digital facilities, as well as being celebrated as the first Net-Zero Energy public library in the State of Massachusetts.

With this dramatic transition of its physical space, the library made the important decision to invest in the future of its library website as well, initiating a major overhaul of their online presence through a collaboration with BI Studio in developing new and critical aspects of the new site.

THE CHARLOTTE & WILLIAM BLOOMBERG MEDFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY

When approaching the website redesign, BI focused on three main factors that came into play for its ultimate success.

1. A consistent branded look & feel with a revised logo to reflect their new name.
2. The integration of key technologies and fundamental services for a broader reach to the general public.
3. An easy-to-use website allowing visitors to find and access what they need, in addition to an efficient content management system (CMS), enabling the full library staff to quickly make content updates to the site daily.

A VISUALLY APPEALING & CONSISTENT DESIGN

BI Studio collaborated with the Medford team to establish requirements throughout the design process, resulting in a website presence that met the following goals for the online look & feel.

• Utilization of an engaging and simple design, incorporating a clean, modern format that enhances readability and user experience without being cluttered.
• Consistent Branding: Colors, fonts, and images were incorporated to reflect the library’s identity, mission, and consistency on and offline.
• A newly crafted logo reflecting the library’s transition and new name.

CATALOG INTEGRATION / EVENTS & PROGRAMS / DIGITAL SERVICES

Throughout the entire development process, the BI team coordinated with the Medford staff to ensure all elements of their technical requirements were integrated into the site.

• Seamless unification of the Minuteman Library Network into the site, enabling Catalog Search features, Digital Resources, and Library of Things.    
• Incorporated a well-organized, easy-to-use, event calendar with the option for users to register for library programs, in-house events, and online activities, resulting in greater community engagement and user participation.
• Online Resources: Enabled appropriate access to databases, research tools, tutorials, and a vast array of online learning materials focused on supporting each of the library’s target audiences appropriately.

EASE OF USE – FRONT & BACK

The ultimate goal for BI was to enable a website that served both the front-end user (library patrons) as well as facilitate a state-of-the-art content management system (CMS) that would serve the Medford staff efficiently as they were tasked with daily upkeep, event scheduling, and page management.

• UX/UI:  Developed a newly configured navigation system, and organization of site content, allowing users access to the information they sought quickly and efficiently.
• Incorporated an easy-to-use and easy-to-maintain, WordPress content management system, allowing for multiple members of the library staff to take responsibility for individual sections of the library website efficiently, all the while maintaining overall consistency among all team members.
• Facilitated a community-facing Blog for the website that enabled a focused presentation of timely News and Information geared specifically toward delivering content for each of the Medford Library’s four main categories: Adults, Children, Teens, and Books.

WHAT LIES AHEAD

As Bloomberg Philanthropies founders Mike Bloomberg & Marjorie Tiven so eloquently stated during the opening ceremony of the new library “The Medford Library gave us the chance to explore new worlds and broaden our horizons. The new library will open doors for even more people through books and learning — expanding opportunity, enriching community, and improving lives.” 

We support the Medford Library staff as they look to the future, and continue to enhance and improve upon their online presence, and are happy to have been a part of its integration into the library’s array of community-focused tools and resources.