Noticing our work with Burnaby Public Library, the team at Squamish Public Library (SPL) engaged us for a website refresh. The goal: communicate the many services they’ve developed to meet the needs of this active, fast-growing town.

What’s happening at SPL—and elsewhere—underscores how libraries are shaped by the needs of their communities. Squamish has seen a boom of growth in recent years, with increased long-term residents and summer surges of visitors and seasonal residents that strain local services. These demographic shifts are felt in the library every day as residents and visitors alike flock to a single small building made for a smaller population.

Amid these pressures the library has taken on unusual roles: A de-facto welcome centre for many travellers, a refuge from hot or rainy days, a tech support station, and a provider of private workspaces and useful items like sewing machines.

It’s a mix that challenges traditional ideas of what a library is and does. But with each new offering, they cement their role in Squamish as an inclusive, vibrant, and vital part of the town’s fabric.

A tall freestanding bookshelf with cube-shaped on all sides cubbies labelled "Book Club". The cubbies alternate between neat sets of multiple books, and an orange displays that show the book covers. In the foreground is a staff member pointing to the display.
Denim & Steel staff members gather on the street in Squamish on a sunny day. In the background the Stawamus Chief mountain looms large.
Painted mural of a phoenix inside the library. Under the mural are several bookshelves, and beside the mural are overhead hanging lights.
A Squamish Public Library tote bag held out on display in front of an outdoor mural. The tote bag is beige canvas and has a teal and yellow line drawing design that includes books, forests, mountains and ocean. The mural in the background sits behind a neat bush, and includes bright blue and peach waves with bits of fish visible.
Interior shot of the Squamish Public library foyer. Two visitors walk into the library facing away from the camera. On the right are wood and glass display cases of artwork, and in the far background is an information desk and book displays.
Snapshots from our research field trip to SPL
Visit squamishlibrary.ca

Highlights

A welcome to the library and Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw territory

During our research we learned that Squamish newcomers often head to the library first to orient themselves and use the space. Following that in-person lead, website visitors get a similarly warm welcome in their first moments. The homepage illustration of the library building by talented staff member Natalie shows off the building’s spectacular natural surroundings and provides a recognizable visual for those new to town.

A prominent Indigenous territory acknowledgement expands to reveal a meaningful statement. This section includes an illustration by Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw artist Siobhan Joseph, “Why the Salmon Come to Squamish Waters,” that echoes decals on the library building windows. It was important to situate website visitors in the living history of this land, and further put SPL’s growing commitment towards reconciliation into practice.

A vibrant hub of activity 

This library is not a quiet place! It’s very social and brightened by families, communal leisure spaces and friendly, active staff. The space comes alive with murals and funky furniture, and every nook and cranny is put to use.

The website homepage captures this vibrant atmosphere, and spotlights unexpected ways of using the library, with care taken for newcomer audiences. Throughout are many flexible areas: rotating booklists via custom integration with Bibliocommons, and flexible featured item and service highlight spaces that can change as the library’s offerings grow. 

Clear pathways for every kind of visitor

The website walk a tightrope between audiences with conventional pursuits (such as looking for books), while educating about the wider variety of services (room bookings, a Library of Things, zines and more). Each heading in the menus fulfills a specific goal towards this end: 

  • Welcome is another touchpoint for Squamish tourists and newcomers, orienting them to both library services and the wider town.
  • Books/Audio/Video provides access to reading and entertainment, booklists, and more.
  • Tech/Spaces/Things showcases the physical spaces and unexpected objects available to use.
  • Special Resources points to hidden-gem offerings and curated research topics from library staff. It’s the place most likely to grow as the library continues to experiment with new offerings.
  • Events gives visitors a quick path to popular community events.
Screenshot of the Welcome menu, a full-width space that shows a small introduction to the library, and a list of links for what is at the library. A second list of links show information about Squamish
Screenshot of the Books, Audio, & Video menu, a full width menu with a mini-search box in a separate area, and a list of links for items to browse. A second list of links describes borrowing services
The colourful menus boast unique innovations specific SPL’s needs, like a visitor welcome centre and the in-menu search interface.

These labels intentionally use plain language to be easily understood by all, and were validated through user testing. And for those who seeking for something specific, our fast search feature lets users toggle between browsing for books and library services in one place. 

A symbiotic relationship between content and design

For this project we took the lead on the copywriting process alongside our typical website design and build. This involvement let us update functionality to meet the needs of content as it took shape, and led to unique features such as a custom Bibliocommons integration, filterable online resources, and exhibition pages for the library’s art gallery.

Screenshot of a webpage with a dark teal background. At the top is a white section that says “For Teens: See our staff-curated lists of books for teens. Browse Teen lists” beside a photo of a young woman reading a book inside of a library. Below is an interactive layout displaying the book list “Poetry in Every Form.” The book covers, authors and titles are laid out in a horizontal row. The titles of 2 other book lists are visible: “if You Liked Six of Crows” and “2SLGBTQIA+”.

A custom content process for the SPL team

We also helped library staff build capacity around content creation. Through copywriting and hosting hands-on training for writing alt text and page building, staff are well-positioned to steward the website with confidence.

Read the blog post

An fresh presence for an essential resource

The new website paints the library as the approachable, relevant resource that its regulars know it to be. With special considerations for welcoming new-to-town visitors and boosting their outside the box offerings, it’s an invitation to see what a modern library can do for you.

Visit squamishlibrary.ca