WCCLS Launches Mobile Friendly and Accessible Website

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, September 15, 2015

A New Look and Streamlined Functions

- Check Us Out: WCCLS.org -

Washington County, Oregon: Today the Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) is pleased to debut a redesign of the wccls.org website. Utilizing staff and patron feedback the Cooperative Library Services identified three main purposes for rebuilding the WCCLS website: making information more easily findable, making the website mobile-responsive, and making the website accessible to all visitors. The site now meets all of these goals, and we are excited to share the results of this work with the public.

According to Marie Martin, WCCLS Web Administrator, "in August 2015, WCCLS had 89,616 page views via mobile visitors to wccls.org, which is 34% of our current traffic. This number has grown steadily, from 26% one year ago (August 2014), 18% two years ago (August 2013) and just 10% three years ago (August 2012)." WCCLS strives to remain responsive to the changing needs of our public.

With today’s launch some links within the site have changed. Patrons may need to update their bookmarks in order to fully access the website. No other interruption of services should occur and the online library catalog and patron accounts did not change.

In building the new website, WCCLS had focused on three primary goals:

Mobile-friendly: no matter if you are using a desktop or a mobile phone, content will automatically resize for easy reading.

Clean and uncluttered: the site has been designed by the WCCLS in-house web team (Marie Martin and Crystal Trice) with a focus on simplicity and accessibility.

Ease of navigation: the web team used input from library users through in-person and online studies to make it easier to find the content you need.

The community can help celebrate the "launch" of the new site by using a printable pdf to make a wccls.org paper airplane (www.wccls.org/launch). After patrons look around the new site, we invite them to jot down their thoughts on the back of the airplane and launch it back to the WCCLS (via our member libraries, unless your arm is really strong). Or, share your feedback and any questions about locating a service or resource through the online contact form.

The Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) includes: Banks Public Library, Beaverton City Library, Beaverton City Library @ Murray Scholls, Cedar Mill Community Library, Cedar Mill Community Library @ Bethany, Cornelius Public Library, Forest Grove City Library, Garden Home Community Library, Hillsboro Public Libraries (Main and Shute Park), North Plains Public Library, Sherwood Public Library, Tigard Public Library, Tualatin Public Library, and West Slope Community Library. Two specialty libraries are also a part of the Cooperatives library card service — the Oregon College of Art & Craft and the Tuality Health Education Resource Center.

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