Hays Public Library Enhances Wayfinding with StackMap and TLC
Hays Public Library, serving a community of around 20,000 including university students and young families, recently completed a major renovation that shifted children’s, young adult, and much of its adult collection. The changes brought confusion—not just for patrons, but for staff as well. “We noticed right away that people were confused about where things had moved,” said Dustin Key, Systems Manager at Hays Public Library. “ Staff were spending extra time teaching patrons where collections had gone.”
As the library prepared for another remodel in its basement, which houses the bulk of the adult collection, the team recognized the need for a better way to help people navigate the new layout. That’s when they discovered StackMap. “After sitting through the demo, our collections manager and I got off the call and went, ‘This is it. This is the thing that we’ve been missing that we didn’t know existed.’”
The implementation of StackMap impressed staff with its speed and ease. “When I learned it would take four weeks, I thought, wow—I’m used to implementations that last three months or more. It was an action-packed four weeks, but the process was so simple from my perspective,” Key explained. While mapping shelves and organizing call numbers required some time, the rest of the process was seamless. “Normally I’d have to create something like floor maps myself for a project like this. It was so nice that StackMap had in-house designers to make sure everything looked exactly how we wanted.”
Integration with TLC’s catalog made the rollout even smoother. “Basically, we just put in a link, turned it on, and it worked,” Key said. The collaboration between TLC and StackMap was key to success. “Being the middleman between StackMap and TLC was super easy, and they worked together to get everything just right.”
At first, the staff weren’t sure what to expect. Some even wondered if the tool might replace parts of their job. But once the system was demonstrated during a staff meeting—showing how to click “Map It,” print a shelf map, and hand it to a patron—the excitement grew. “They realized this wasn’t just for patrons—it was for them too,” Key shared.
Since launch, the “Map It” button has been used constantly on both public catalog stations and mobile devices. Staff and managers regularly observe patrons pulling it up to locate items. Youth services, in particular, reported significant improvements. “Parents have said their time spent looking for picture books has been more than cut in half,” Key noted.
Looking ahead, StackMap continues to fulfill exactly the need Hays Public Library identified. “At the time we didn’t even know it was a need—but now, it’s hard to imagine not having it.” Key advises other libraries to handle major collection moves before going live, but not to worry about perfection. “The dashboard makes it so easy to make adjustments later. It doesn’t have to be perfect at go-live.”
When asked about the biggest patron benefit, Key summarized: “With the new TLC mobile responsive catalog combined with StackMap’s mapping, I’ve seen more people using their cell phones to locate materials than ever before. They pull up the mobile catalog, use StackMap, and find exactly what they need. It’s been a game changer.”
– Dustin Key, Systems Manager, Hays Public Library
