Wilton Library Association is pleased to announce the launch of its new website at https://www.wiltonlibrary.org and invites visitors to explore the new site.
The dramatically redesigned custom website, created by the WLA Marketing Committee and the library’s in-house Technology team, reflects the library’s commitment to embrace innovation and technology, while always adapting and evolving to provide resources and services that meet the growing digital needs of the Wilton community.
The website’s homepage welcomes visitors with a clean and streamlined design, featuring colorful blocks of content that highlight and promote the library’s extensive array of programs, resources, and services. “We have worked hard to create a website that reflects the library’s commitment to inform, enrich, connect, and inspire our community,” said Sandy Stein, Board Member and Head of the WLA Marketing Committee. “Every aspect has been thoughtfully designed to provide people of all ages with an inviting and innovative experience that elevates the imagination. We are confident that as you explore the site, you will find that it is friendly and intuitive, making it easier than ever to navigate and take advantage of the wide variety of resources and programming that the library offers.”
The website redesign project started in May 2021, after the WLA Marketing Committee completed the rebranding of the library during its 125th year anniversary year. The committee decided that it was time for a comprehensive restructuring of the website. “With the new branding, we tried to move the library into a new digital age while still keeping the original heart alive. With the website, we tried to do the same. Rather than just update the fonts or colors, we felt that the Wilton Library website could use a new perspective,” said Emily Moore, a volunteer on the WLA Marketing Committee who created the site’s design principles.
“The goal was to modernize both the look and functionality of the site. We streamlined information to make it even easier for patrons to find what they need. We worked internally through rounds of brainstorming, wireframing, designing, and coding to build something totally custom, perfect for the residents of Wilton and beyond. We’re so excited to launch the new website, and we hope all patrons find it easy to use, informative, and engaging,” said Moore.
Every year, more than 70,000 users visit www.wiltonlibrary.org to use the library’s catalog, search and register for events, reserve eBooks and Audiobooks, get book recommendations, and much more. The library’s Technology team consulted every library department and examined historical website traffic to make sure that the new site would include everything that users need. Useful new content, content updates, and flexibility for future growth were also important considerations.
“We had taken the 2014 edition of the website through some soft restructuring and branding updates, but it was time to begin from scratch with a really clean and targeted redesign,” said Thomas Kozak, Head of Technology at Wilton Library, who created the site’s infrastructure. “Rather than modify an off-the-shelf platform, we decided to create a fully custom-built engine based on Sandy and Emily's stellar design work. The code is built on open source libraries but was developed entirely in-house. This will make the new website faster for users and more adaptable for the future."
The WLA Marketing Committee also decided to invest in a large photography library from events at the library, so that the website can accurately reflect the building and the people. “Jarret Liotta’s amazing photography perfectly captures the faces and joy of the library,” said Stein.
Wilton Library is located at 137 Old Ridgefield Road in the heart of Wilton Center. For more information, please visit www.wiltonlibrary.org or call (203) 762-3950.