Enhancing Visibility of Spaces and Resources at a Library Consortium

Library consortiums play a crucial role in enhancing access to resources and services for member libraries and their patrons. They often share catalogs, allowing users to access a broader range of materials. However, navigating these shared collections efficiently can pose a challenge. That’s where StackMap comes in to help optimize the library consortium experience.

One challenge faced by library consortiums is ensuring that patrons can seamlessly locate resources and spaces across various member libraries. By integrating Collection Mapping into their catalogs, member libraries are able to provide a universal wayfinding experience for patrons. Whether a few member libraries or all member libraries have StackMap integrated, patrons can still easily discover materials relevant to their research or interests in the shared catalog. Even if patrons are sent to an unfamiliar branch, StackMap can aid in making the collections feel familiar and easy to navigate. Additionally, access to places and spaces is just a click away with Explore. Explore is able to add another layer of guidance for patrons as they move beyond the catalog and familiarize themselves with the spaces and services of a library or branch. 

We were able to speak with Becky Ingram of Fremont Public Library (a part of the CCS Consortium of Illinois) about their experience with StackMap, Collection Mapping, and Explore: 

Our library recently expanded in a large remodeling project, and as we considered patron navigation of the new space, we had a strong desire to give people a better picture of where materials are shelved. We saw examples of other libraries in our consortium using StackMap and thought it would work great for us as well. 

We are particularly excited about the Explore module to give patrons a peek at our library’s layout before they visit and to direct them to the numerous study and play spaces we’ve added. Implementation has been straightforward and we can’t wait to see how patrons start using the product!

Consortiums with StackMap are enhancing access to their collections and increasing the visibility of everything that their spaces have to offer!

—Becky Ingram, Fremont Public Library District in Mundelein, IL