I’m the “branch manager” of our digital branch. So I have ultimate responsibility for what happens on the digital branch and for direction of the site. I act as editor-in-chief of digital branch content and direction. I meet with content creators and social media teams to help set direction and goals for each blog or static section of the site. I continually look for emerging Web trends to incorporate into the site. I also meet with departments to figure out next steps for their content. I create some content myself.

We consider the IT department part of the digital branch, so I manage that department as well (with the help of a day-to-day supervisor of the department). The digital services director is a system-wide, long-range planning role.

Our web team consists of a web developer and a web designer. These two staff members design our websites—both front and back ends. This team works on the library’s digital facilities—back-end coding, front-end design, database work, APIs—the daily nuts and bolts of the site. These staff members build new sections of the site and meet with staff to ensure the digital branch is meeting their needs. The web team also constantly makes improvements to the site so it stays modern and functioning well.

The creative group is a multidepartmental team at TSCPL with a focus on marketing, PR, and the Web. The group is made up of the digital services director, the web team, our marketing and communications department (manager, graphic designer, and communications editor), a public services staff member who focuses on digital content services, and our events and programs manager. Our deputy director usually attends, and the library director attends occasionally.

The creative group discusses current and upcoming projects and works to make them better. It looks at different sections or services offered on the digital branch and improves those sections. For example, the creative group might look at the About the Library section of our website and make suggestions and improvements.

Once the group has agreed on needed improvements, the web team incorporates those changes into the site. Another week, the group might review the library’s Facebook page. The creative group will look at statistics and current status updates sent to the site, make suggestions for improving user engagement, and possibly set some goals for the page. Then, it might recommend a Facebook team to implement changes. The creative group is a fun team that helps forge a better digital branch experience for our customers.

We have about twenty-four blogs that are part of our digital branch. Most of our blogs are connected to part of our library’s physical collection. In the physical library, we have arranged topic areas of content into what we call neighborhoods. We are still using Dewey as a call number system (instead of switching to BISAC as some libraries have done), but we have reclassified material so that, for example, all the health and wellness books sit together in the same area of the library with signage saying that this is the health neighborhood. Some neighborhoods have added attractions. For example, there’s a blood pressure checker in the health neighborhood.

Each neighborhood has a small team of two to four employees who are in charge. Each team has an annual strategic plan for its neighborhood, called a service plan. The service plans contain yearly goals and direction for each neighborhood.

Each neighborhood has a blog on the digital branch, and each neighborhood team writes focused blog content. Blogs may point to new acquisitions, events happening in the library related to the neighborhood, and events happening locally (or even nationally) related to the topic. These blogs always point back to TSCPL, too (usually by adding a link to the new book or event mentioned in the blog post).

Some areas of the digital branch are very departmentally focused (e.g., Youth Services or the Bookmobile). These specialized areas function much like the blog teams—they set direction and are in charge of content for their areas of the digital branch. If there’s a static page in the area (like the databases page or a departmental service like reader’s advisory), we place a staff member in charge of that page. Every three to six months, that staff member revisits the page and checks it for accuracy. This person also makes any updates and suggests improvements for the page.

All of these teams work with the digital services director to set goals and to develop the site.

Some of our social media sites also have teams in charge of them, and some of them don’t. Here’s a quick breakdown.

The creative group that I discussed above meets weekly. During the meeting, we talk about things like marketing goals and projects, upcoming promotions, and website problems and improvements. We also talk about social media and the intersection of marketing and promotion with community-building needs.

The goal is to tie these topics together into a cohesive marketing and digital branch plan that is recognizable in print, in the physical building, in the community, and on our digital branch.

These meetings are also where we regularly review the website, section by section, as described earlier. We make improvements where needed, consulting with staff in the process.

Each blog team meets a couple of times a year. I am sometimes involved in those meetings, but not always. During the meetings, the team decides on content direction and goals for its blog and discusses any difficulties or problems that have occurred.

The team also might discuss the service plan goals and programs for its content neighborhood. The digital branch is a part of that plan and includes what the team will write about and how it will connect with customers using the blog.

I also meet with smaller groups or departments as needed to focus on updates and new ideas for their part of the website. Often, the creative group will invite groups to our weekly meeting, too. In those meetings, we might create goals for a section of the site, decide what content is needed, and determine who does the work and maintains that part of the website.