Broward County Library in Florida transformed its website from a simple page with few links to a customer-centric site offering extensive information and content. The library focused on providing direct and useful information to users, replacing printed materials with online content, and tracking website usage through metrics. This increased electronic visitors from less than 40,000 to over 300,000 per month and saved nearly $90,000 by reducing printed copies of its monthly magazine as downloads increased. The library continues promoting sustainable practices through its "Check Out Being Green" campaign.

1. Volume 1
Going Green:
Case
Studies
in
utstanding Green
Business Practices
Published by the Media/Communications Group
of Access Intelligence
PR News • min • CableFAX

2. CHAPTER 6 NONPROFITS AND GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS: CASE STUDIES
Transforming a Library’s Web Site,
Reducing Dependency on Print
B M G Libraries Manager—Marketing and Web Broward County Library
B
roward County Library is a leading library system with 37 library locations including an
eight-story Main Library in downtown Fort Lauderdale, Fla., five 70,000 square-foot regional
libraries and joint-use facilities with local universities. The library was named Library of the
Year in 1996 by Library Journal and Gale Research; however, Broward County Library’s Web
site had little presence, with low utilization by customers.
In 2004, Broward County Library began to redesign its Web site. Instead of a just a Web page with a
few links, the decision was made to give the Web site a customer-centric role, offering information and
content to build a relationship with its customers. A new plan for the Web site was developed with three
major focus points:
Direct information
Content on Web site to replace print collateral
Growth through standard measurements
An organization’s Web site must provide the information that the customers need and want, and the
customers that visit the Web site should leave with an exceptional impression. Since the overall image
of the library system would be negatively impacted if customers could not find out what they needed
on the Broward County Library Web site, basic information about customer needs was added to the
library’s Web pages. The traffic of those Web pages was carefully monitored and the best-performing
pages continued to develop and grow. Additional features and special projects highlighted the library’s
services and special events.
The second major focus of the development plan was to reduce the library’s dependency on print
Taking a green approach to marketing was determined
to be a perfect fit, since libraries can share
materials and reduce use of duplicate resources
that impact the environment.
materials. Flyers, bookmarks, and brochures cluttered the libraries and wasted dwindling budgets. Taking
a green approach to marketing was determined to be a perfect fit, since libraries can share materials and
reduce use of duplicate resources that impact the environment.
The third area of focus was to determine what measurements would be used for a baseline and to track
potential success. The following measures, with a monthly submission deadline, consisted primarily of:
124 www.prnewsonline.com

3. GOING GREEN: CASE STUDIES IN OUTSTANDING GREEN BUSINESS PRACTICES
Number of electronic visitors and page views
Number of downloads for the library’s monthly magazine, Bookings, in a .pdf version
The library’s Web site was relaunched with a new look and more information. Online visitor traffic
began to grow. The library promoted the Web site with zero budget dollars. The URL was included in
all print pieces and press releases. An internal marketing plan to draw customers to the Web site was
implemented. More and more Web pages were developed that obtained free search optimization results,
which resulted in driving traffic to the library’s Web site.
The most significant results were the increase of the library’s electronic visitors and page views. Over
the four-year period, the traffic increased from less than 40,000 electronic visitors per month to more
than 300,000 per month.
The page views also dramatically increased, as more information was made available to customers.
The site increased it page views by more than 300 percent in three years.
The library’s online magazine, Bookings, was made available in a .pdf version on the library’s right
navigational bar. The goal was to reduce the number of magazine printed, which costs around a quarter
to produce. In 2004, less than 2,000 copies were downloaded each month. In FY 2006, a total of 275,629
issues were downloaded online—a savings of almost $72,000. In FY 2007, 339,832 issues were down-
www.prnewsonline.com 125

4. CHAPTER 6 NONPROFITS AND GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS: CASE STUDIES
loaded—saving almost $90,000. In FY 2007, the printed version was reduced by thousands of issues each
month to reduce costs.
Broward County Library transformed its Web site from just a simple Web page into a complex Web
site offering customers information through channels that targeted the most popular pages and informa-
tion. The library’s Web site has become a staple for customers. The Web site has become a focus point to
communicate with customers with an E-Newsletter, E-Updates, and E-Invitation added.
CONTINUING TO GROW
The library developed a new Check Out Being Green campaign to help promote the Web site to
untapped market segments. The campaign promotes how customers can use their local library to
reduce their impact on the environment. The Check Out Being Green campaign allows the library
to come full circle with a Web site that can support customer needs.PRN
Tips for Online Success
1. Don’t waste months planning every facet of a new Web site. You could be actually testing your new
site and meeting customer needs. The greatest advantage to online media is that it is online. Changes
can be made in seconds without any wasted printing or costs.
2. Take risks. Be willing to test new ideas and features. The success of these features can be tracked
through page views and electronic visits. If a new feature does not work, it can be taken down or
replaced immediately.
3. You can never communicate too well with customers. If a Web page has too much information, you can
break it down with links to additional pages. Be cautious as to the format and flow of information. The
pages should look appealing and not be just text. Many people edit information and remove valuable data.
Ask Your Customers
Take the time to survey your customers and ask for feedback. Customers will share their input with
you and feel valued. Below are examples of how Broward County Library sought feedback:
Annual survey—Ask you customers what they think online. Customers will take the time to give you
your opinion and you can open up future communications by asking them to sign up for electronic
mailings.
E-Suggestion Box— Customers want to make comments and suggestions. Broward County Library
offers an E-Suggestion Box so that customers can communicate or refer suggestions of new
materials: http://www.browardlibrary.org/web/esuggestion.htm
E-Newsletter— Through electronic communications, take the time to ask your subscribers what
they want and how to best improve communications. Broward County Library transformed its
E-Newsletter into a nationally award-winning publication: http://www.browardlibrary.org/enewsletter/
Let Your Voice Be Heard—In 2007, Broward County Library let customers select the name and logo
for a new online portal, My Library Online. Customers also gave feedback as to what features they
wanted and how the page should be set up: http://www.broward.org/library/mylibrary.htm
126
Reprinted from the PR News Going Green: Case Studies in Outstanding Green Business Practices Guidebook. © 2008 Access Intelligence, LLC
www.prnewsonline.com