Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library

A modern website for a modern library

Modern libraries need to have modern websites, ones that work on all forms of technology and that patrons can access on the go, with phones and smart devices. Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library (SSJCPL) was well aware of this and knew its website did not meet muster. They needed something aesthetically pleasing, responsive, accessible, and easy to navigate. That’s what led them to Mugo Web when it came time to develop their new website.

“Mugo checked all our boxes,” said Brianna Anderson, Library Manager. “We liked all the example sites presented, and what was offered by Mugo. The events calendar was really big for us.”

Nels Clarke, Librarian, agreed. “We liked that Mugo was library-focused.”

Community-focused design

As the development process started, SSJCPL was presented with many options for their new design, finally settling on one that matched the feel of their town, with a branded wave design carried throughout the site to evoke the river running through the city. From there, development continued with new features for the library, such as the event registration system and meeting room management. The staff worked on deciding what content from their previous site was migrating and what needed to be created. “We were essentially moving from 1997 to the present,” Anderson reflected.

But even with the effort of content decisions, the development process led by the Mugo team was smooth for the SSJCPL stakeholders. “Mugo all did everything…to help us,” Anderson reported. “It went well…The dev team was responsive, and any bugs were fixed quickly.”

Clarke agreed and said it wasn’t the library’s typical experience with technical things. “It felt like it went too well; it was suspicious.”

The new site launched in early fall 2025 and was immediately well-received by staff and the public alike. “They love the look of it,” says Anderson. “It’s an easier layout, and people enjoy it.”

Managing a multi-branch library system

One of the early requests for the SSJCPL site was an easier way for site admins to manage the hours of operation for so many different branches. Mugo Library has customizable branch hours, with seasonal schedules, holidays, and special date rules, but with 16 different libraries all having different schedules, a discrete scheduling system was required. It was one thing to set the base hours individually, but SSJCPL needed a way to push out schedule changes and holiday alerts to all branches, without having to edit each. This had been an issue in their previous site, and they knew it was a drain on staff time.

Using the locations landing page, admins can create special date rules that are shared out to all the branch pages. On the backend, the shared dates are visible in the hours editing interface, so it’s clear to branch editors what changes have already been applied, and maintains their ability to add special dates particular to the individual branch.  

New site offers further customization

The launch of the new site helped reveal more about how SSJCPL patrons were using the website and how they wanted to use it, which has led staff to make improvements in content and organization. Having full control over content and organization is a fundamental aspect of the Mugo Library platform. “We’ve been working on filtering options,” Anderson said, in an effort to help patrons find some of the resources staff had not realized were as popular as the new site showed.

The new site has also led to improved staff productivity and control. “I’ve been doing a lot of the updates, and it’s fun. It's a creative outlet,” Anderson shared. “I love being able to drop things in and schedule them. I love creating booklists in advance, and being able to save them and add to the site when ready.”

“I love not being the sole person with access to update the website,” said Clarke, regarding the custom tiered permission and easier editing interface of Mugo Library.

Continued support for continued success

Now that the new site has launched, Mugo Web’s goal is to provide continued support to SSJCPL to ensure the website has a long life and remains a modern feature of the library. Potential future improvements include more UX focused design changes and functionality, as the site and patrons’ use continue to evolve. Meanwhile, Mugo Web’s customer service guarantee for prompt support helps the library deal with day-to-day issues, often much swifter than staff are used to experiencing, based on previous interactions with technology partners. “Everyone is so lovely and fast to make requested changes,” Anderson stated. “I emailed about adding a new branch, and Mugo got back in 10 minutes and did it…I really didn’t expect to have this done as soon as we asked.”

Anderson also has advice for other libraries that are starting the process to develop a new website. She advises libraries to list out all of their needs and wants, regardless of the initial perceived feasibility. “Ask anyway, even if you don’t think it could happen. Anything is in the realm of possibility.”