NEWS: City Library Website Awarded Communication Arts' Webpick of the Week

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Julianne Hancock
e: jhancock@slcpl.org
m: 801.819.3763

City Library Website Awarded Communication Arts' Webpick of the Week

June 13, 2011 - SALT LAKE CITY - Salt Lake City Public Library's newly redesigned website has been named WebPick of the Week by Communication Arts, a top visual communication journal. The website, www.slcpl.org, is being recognized between June 10-16 as an "outstanding example of Web design selected based on a combination of superior aesthetics, technical expertise, functionality and overall site experience."

The City Library's website was designed and developed by Rain, a digital firm based in American Fork, Utah. Rain and The City Library utilize the latest web-based technologies and public library trends to create a community-focused website that engages Salt Lake City residents and visitors in new, interactive ways. SLCPL.org was designed to facilitate conversations between members of the community, enhance access to engaging content relevant to topics most important to those in Salt Lake City, and inspire through easy access to information and resources.

"The new City Library website pushes the boundaries of what the community can expect from their public library," said Beth Elder, Director of The City Library. "Our aim was to extend our reputation as 'the place where democracy happens' to the web environment, providing opportunities for interaction, engagement, and inspiration online."

In addition to improved access to exploring the library collection, local news, and citywide events, some of the innovative features of the new slcpl.org include:

The Soap Box: Found in the Community Section, the Soap Box opens discussions of issues important to the Salt Lake City community. Videos introducing a variety of topics by subject experts will be posted, with a space for users to respond, add new information, share their views, and exchange ideas. The first Soap Box video is presented by Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker on sustainability.

Weekly Q’s: Weekly questions on a range of silly and serious topics – from how our community works to what makes Salt Lake unique – are presented by library staff, engaging users to respond and connect. The archive of answers will create a wealth of local information that documents the pulse of Salt Lake City.

The SL Scene: In the Teens section, The SL Scene is a place to spark teens’ creativity, allowing them to document their world, and share their experiences. Teens will submit pictures, videos, and writing on topics like music, activism, fashion, cars, and more.

MyEasel: MyEasel is a collage-making web application found in the Kids section of the site. The City Library will call kids to create new pictures of various things that are relevant to their day-to-day lives and allow them to save their creations to share with friends and family.

Events Calendar: A rich, searchable community resource for what's happening at The City Library and all over town.

CoverFlow: CoverFlow widgets on the Teen, Kids, and Collections pages give users an entirely new opportunity to interact with The City Library's collection. With lists of books, movies, music, graphic novels, and more, curated by City Library staff, everyone can encounter something new and find recommendations for items in the catalog.

LibLab: The LibLab embraces the open nature of online communities, and encourages all to be creative in building The City Library’s online community. Users can create and submit games, applications, widgets, and other web applications, and will feature submissions for the public to play with, be inspired by, and use on their own sites.


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JULIANNE HANCOCK
Communications Manager | Salt Lake City Public Library
p: 801.524.8219 | m: 801.819.3763 | jhancock@slcpl.org