Public libraries
This folder is for project managers, administrators and website creators at a public library, a community library or a network of branch libraries. A library website is mostly about opening hours, branches, events and services; the catalog and the loans live in the library management system, which the website links to. The pages answer what a library publishes, how to build it in Exponential, which requirements weigh most, how to run the first 90 days, and how to handle events and the catalog.
Product facts come from the documentation of this repository; descriptions of libraries are general public-sector practice.
Contents
The pages
| Page | The answer in one line |
|---|---|
| What a public library publishes | Branches and opening hours, events, services, reading recommendations, news; the catalog is linked |
| Content model for public libraries | Shipped Event and Event calendar classes plus Branch and Recommendation classes |
| Structure, sections and roles for public libraries | A tree by branch and service, roles for branch staff and event organizers |
| Requirements emphasis for public libraries | Accessibility, many languages, privacy of readers, small teams |
| The first 90 days for public libraries | A plan built around branches and the events calendar |
| Events and catalogs linked rather than built | Running the events calendar in Exponential and linking to the catalog instead of rebuilding it |
Reading order
- What a public library publishes, then Events and catalogs linked rather than built.
- Content model and Structure, sections and roles.
- Requirements emphasis.
- First 90 days.
Up: Levels of government. The landing page of the Governments section, Governments: start here, is the starting point for every reader. A library run by a municipality may share its platform; see Municipal and local government.
What sets libraries apart
| Topic | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Events | story times, reading groups, courses: many small events in many branches |
| The catalog | a separate system with its own search; the website should not copy it |
| Reader privacy | what people read is sensitive; libraries traditionally protect it |
| Many staff, little time | branch staff publish events beside their main work |
| Inclusion | everyone is welcome: languages, literacy levels, disabilities |
Related pages
- Levels of government
- Schools and universities
- What you can build
- Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.
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