Queens Library is charged with meeting the varied needs of a customer base that is growing all the time. In response to this need, in 2008 Queens Library began using Virtua, a product offered by the company VTLS, as its ILS. At that time, in addition to the ILS, Queens Library was running a number of separate systems that provided various functionality for our customers. But while each of these features operated well in their own right, they couldn’t be combined into a cohesive user experience. There were still quite a few enhancements needed in order to meet the needs of our diverse public library system. Those modifications couldn’t address the real issue of integration — how could we bring all of these disparate elements to work for our customers?

To answer this need, we have developed a solution: the daVinci Open Library Platform™. This innovation is the result of our efforts to build a complete and flexible system: one that will enable a unified user experience that is easily customized. DaVinci unifies our ILS data, program and events management software, archived assets, and community information, and then adds the flexibility of an open-source content management system that presents exactly what we want to our public — ensuring that we have the control necessary to serve our customers’ needs. With daVinci, we’re offering our customers easier access to information. We’re able to unify all our data, which allows us to create a one-stop search capability that not only handles the data we have today, but automatically includes any future content. Instead of going to two different search tabs to find a DVD or an event at one of our libraries, one search box does it all.

Through daVinci, we offer our customers the widest choice using the simplest methods possible. We do the heavy lifting of aggregating multiple vendors while offering our customers a one-search option: they can use our system to browse, select and download whatever they need. With daVinci, we’re also strengthening our customer relationships. If customers would like reading recommendations or recommendations for other materials, they can opt-in to our service, which will in turn give them information on their preferences — lists of suggested titles, promotion of programs they might enjoy, and more.

With daVinci, we’re also building community relationships. We are creating a managed online community that will allow local civic groups to meet and exchange ideas on our website.

Since we have built our own system with daVinci, we’ve been able to include all of the systems that we need to run our large operation. By building this ourselves, we are better able to serve our customers by giving them wider opportunities for accessing and sharing information.