Take a look at the new Darien Library (CT) Website. The site was unveiled September 1st. The website is running in Drupal, the same content management software used by ICFL (see the sneak peek of the new ICFL site) ^* and many other libraries in Idaho.

There is so much to like about this site:

• The letter from the Director is great and shows that the Director is actually using the site. She added her own reviews to books!
• Happening this week: Shows the user what they can expect at the library. In a time when it’s getting more and more expensive to find entertainment for the whole family, this is a great way to show what some low-cost options are for members of the community. I am so wanting to go to the digital photography course! While we’re at it, look at all the events. Easy to read, easy to find.
• Library hours and contact information right up front. It’s a personal preference, but I SO appreciate this on websites.

And the biggie, why I really wanted to share this:

• The catalog. Where the branding that tells us the company? It’s not there! Awesome! That might be, in part, because they aren’t using a traditional vendor. But it’s not about what vendor or open source option they used, it’s about how it works for the customer. It’s right there. Front page… the user can search the catalog from any place on the site. It is always a part of the title bar. Not just that, but by using the same search bar and just changing the drop-down box, the user can search the website, Google, or even some limited (by format) searches in the library catalog. Do a search in their system. Go ahead, I’ll wait…

…waiting…

How beautiful are those search results? So easy to scan and review. A nice, clean result list. Book cover art, sure, but did you try the “fine tune” options? Did you see how users can add reviews to an item? Community reviews! Cool. If you follow the link to the main page of the catalog, the user will find quick links to new materials, hot titles, and favorites. By using the Tag cloud on the right, the user can pop over to another topic pretty easily.

For those into the technology end of things, there is an article in Library Journal about the software running the system. There's more at John Blyberg's blog.

I’m quite inspired by this site. I see features that I’d love to see in other sites and systems. I’m looking forward to see how this great example inspires other libraries in the future.

* 10/2/208 - Editors Note: The link to the sneak peek of the ICFL redesign has been removed. The site redesign rollout has already occurred.