Like many Polaris libraries, the Ames catalog features a few content carousels based on booklists compiled manually by library staff. Ames has done something unique. They’ve put a mechanism in place which creates a booklist automatically. The list (and therefore the content carousel) updates dynamically as items are added to and removed from a specific shelf location (“staff picks”).
While the member libraries maintain their individual websites, the consortium uses PowerPAC as their sole web presence. Where there’s a need for a page of local content (e.g., a page with Book Recommendations) , Black Gold has added custom pages within the PowerPAC framework and linked them to a “Main Menu” in the side dashboard area.
As a multi-site system, Bridges has done a very nice job of personalizing the PowerPAC for the individual member libraries. If you visit their PowerPAC, be sure and switch between a few of the library locations. Notice how nicely each library site has been customized.
Coquitlam has done some very basic but attractive customizations: they’ve applied a nice banner image and modified some aspects of the over all color scheme consist with the library home page.
Coquitlam is notable for the number of languages supported: English, Korean, Arabic, Vietnamese, Chinese, Spanish and French.
Orland Park is a good example of a single site library which has done a very nice job of creating a custom theme. As part of their custom “skin” they’ve integrated a number of very effective custom format icons for their title search results.