[Durham INC] Durham County Library Board of Trustees Creates 'Isthelibraryopen.com'

[grozier at durhamcountync.gov]

Dear Media Friends,

Please find attached, and embedded below, a news release about Durham County Library.

Thank you for publicizing the library, where great programs happen!

Gina

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Gina Rozier
Marketing and Development Manager
Durham County Library
P: 919-560-0151
F: 919-560-0137
durhamcountylibrary.org<http://www.durhamcountylibrary.org/>


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-News Release-



Date: June 1, 2012                                                                                        CONTACT: Gina Rozier
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                 919-560-0151 or grozier at durhamcountync.gov<mailto:grozier at durhamcountync.gov>


Durham County Library Board of Trustees Creates 'Isthelibraryopen.com'

Durham - More than five years ago, Durham County Library moved to a modified weekday schedule in order to open most library locations on Sunday throughout the year. The subsequent shift in staff hours meant that the library opens at 2 p.m. on Friday, instead of at 9 a.m. as it does on other weekdays. It's been five years, but every Friday morning, patrons arrive at the doors and are disappointed to find the library closed.
In addition, two years ago, after sustaining significant budget cuts, the library began closing early on Wednesday evenings. The result is a weekly schedule that is difficult for even the most diehard library fans to memorize.
As liaisons to the community, the Durham County Library Board of Trustees recognized the frustration many patrons feel. So, the members of the board's Advocacy Committee put their technological expertise to work and created a website that answers the most pressing question of library fans throughout the county: Is the library open?
Isthelibraryopen.com allows users to select their favorite Durham County Library location from a drop-down menu. Once a location is chosen, the site displays in large letters, "Yes" or "No." If the library is open, the site tells customers how long it will remain open that day. If the library is closed, the site displays when it will reopen. There is also a map for each location selected and a listing of the library hours for the current week.
"We are so excited to have this tool for our patrons," Library Director, Tammy Baggett said. "And we're lucky to have such a proactive and talented Board of Trustees. Over this past year, the trustees have really stepped up their activities to support the library and help us provide great service to the community."
The website works well for regular hours and scheduled holiday closings, but it will also be used for unscheduled closures due to inclement weather or power outages. Library staff will contact the site administrators as part of their standard procedures when an emergency results in a library closure. When necessary, staff has the capability of updating the site directly.
"ITLO, as we call it, was the brainchild of library trustee Beck Tench. We presented the idea to the rest of the board, and they were very enthusiastic about it," said Crystal Dreisbach, chair of the Advocacy Committee. "The trustees donated the funds to reserve the domain name, and Relevance, Inc., a Durham-based software development firm, created the site free of charge."
Isthelibraryopen.com is not part of the library's website, which gives the trustees added flexibility, said Paolo Mangiafico, a member of the Advocacy Committee. "As a separate, citizen-based entity, the service can experiment with new technologies and approaches without risk or cost to the taxpayer," Mangiafico said. "It also presents an opportunity to engage more deeply with Durham's entrepreneurial information technology community, and to blend startup culture with library services."
The site can be accessed from any type of browser and displays well on Smartphones, but because it is web based, it doesn't require a special app. The website was created as open source software in the spirit of sharing information, which is a primary mission of the library.
Durham County Library provides the entire community with books, services and other resources that inform, inspire learning, cultivate understanding and excite the imagination. For more information, visit your local library or visit us online at durhamcountylibrary.org.
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"This message is being sent on a public e-mail system and may be subject to disclosure under the North Carolina Public Records Act."
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