Johnston Public Library has been a Polaris customer since 2013. JPL has a collection of over 73,000 volumes and circulates over 260,000 items annually.
JPL is located in Johnston, Iowa (in the Des Moines area).
The Johnston Catalog is extraordinary and perhaps the best example of library staff using the Polaris API’s and open architecture to build their own public interface. Here is just some of the custom functionality the library has built into their catalog:
- Display of Amazon ratings with each title and an integrated link to the Amazon reviews
- Automatic results from EBSCOHost with every search
- A graphical shelf browse including item status display
- Pre-configured email alert lists for new material
- Extended suggested searching and “did you mean” capabilities
The JPL “homepage” is a basic component of the City of Johnston site. By comparison, the catalog landing page is really fleshed out with more extensive searching options and other library content that JPL wants to promote to its patrons.
Johnston Public Library has created a one-of-a-kind patron experience.
Customization level: