Inspired explorations: New website connects the curious to Lilly Library

Women holding rare book is standing at a table where four students are seated.

Building collections to make deep and unexpected connections has been the daily work of the dedicated Lilly Library staff for six decades. For the last 12 months, a vision for online connection has inspired an intensive effort to completely reimagine the Lilly Library’s internet offerings.

“We have such beautiful digital content and there is so much more possibility now to bring it forward,” said Erika Dowell, Lilly Library associate director and curator of modern books and manuscripts.

This is the third time Dowell has led a complete website design for the Library. Nineteen years ago she joined the staff of Lilly Library, and website construction was one of her initial tasks. Quite a bit is different in the 2019 version.

Highlights of the site rolling out this summer include;

  • Tremendously increased use of visual information and digital content resulting in immediate interaction with scanned materials.  
  • Integrated functionality with other campus libraries for easier searching and event information.
  • Archives Online search functionality for all Lilly Library manuscript collections, optimizing the ability to request these items for use.
  • User paths to assist educational tourists, students and global researchers with the most direct route to information.

Dowell was especially interested in building a bridge between online searches and in-person visits. She notes that every year visitors from nearly all 50 states make their way to Bloomington specifically to view items at Lilly Library.  International researchers are also very common, as well as online-only connections with up to 60 different countries each year.

 

 

Image is a head shot of a women wearing glasses.

We are going to help people find what they need, whether they are staying at home or traveling from across the globe. We are here for our local and campus community and the very broad world of users. Our new website is built with all of these people in mind.

Erika Dowell, Lilly Library Associate Director and Curator of Modern books and Manuscripts.

 

A long transition is expected as digital exhibitions from years past are reconsidered for new technologies, and digitization continues within this unique and extensive library.   The Lilly Library and IU Libraries team members working on the web project will continue to add new content on a regular basis.

“This is our starting point,” Dowell said. “This is a living website and we will always be adding interesting new things.”