Industry
Your library's website is the busiest branch you operate. It's where patrons check hours at midnight, register for storytime on their phones, search the catalog from the parking lot, and download their next audiobook without ever walking through your doors. When that digital branch fails them, they don't call to complain. They just stop coming.
Services
The full set of services we build for libraries. Every engagement starts with a conversation about what your patrons and staff actually need.
We design WordPress websites for libraries that connect cleanly to your ILS, whether that's SirsiDynix, Innovative Polaris, Evergreen, or another system. We build event calendar integrations, catalog search that feels native to the site, multi-branch navigation, and patron-facing forms for room reservations and card applications. Learn more about our library website design services.
A library website that goes down at 7 PM on a Saturday means patrons can't check hours, register for Monday's program, or access the catalog. We handle updates, accessibility monitoring, uptime alerts, and backups with tested restores, and we answer when something breaks. Learn more about our WordPress maintenance plans for libraries.
The DOJ's 2024 final rule under ADA Title II makes WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance legally enforceable for public library websites, with deadlines in April 2026 for larger entities and April 2027 for smaller ones. Fewer than 10% of library websites are currently free of accessibility errors. We treat compliance as a foundation, not an afterthought, and we offer audits and remediation for existing sites too.
Curious how we structure engagements? Read about our Optik Method, ongoing care & support, and why libraries choose CyberOptik.
By the numbers
| Metric | Benchmark |
|---|---|
| Annual U.S. public library visits | 800 million+ |
| Registered library cardholders nationwide | 155 million+ |
| Share of library website sessions from mobile | ~58% |
| Library websites fully error-free by WCAG standards | Under 10% |
| ADA Title II compliance deadline (entities serving 50,000+) | April 2026 |
| Program attendance growth year-over-year (post-pandemic) | 8-12% average |
Benchmarks sourced from public IMLS and DOJ data. See how we translate these numbers into a program: The Optik Method.
Overview
Most library websites were built to check boxes, not to serve patrons. They launched with good intentions and then sat untouched while the world moved to mobile, accessibility standards tightened into federal law, and patron expectations shifted.
The gap between what a library website does and what it should do is real, and it grows a little wider every year.
Fewer than 10% of library websites are currently free of accessibility errors, and the DOJ's ADA Title II deadline is not a future concern. It's already enforceable for larger entities starting April 2026.
We've been building websites since 2002. Today we manage more than 700 WordPress sites across a range of industries, and we understand the specific pressures libraries face: compliance deadlines, catalog integrations that can't break, event calendars that staff need to update without a developer on call, and the public accountability that comes with serving an entire community.
Client Work
More of our work
Browse the full CyberOptik portfolio across every industry we build for. If you want a walkthrough of work relevant to your business, just say the word.
Who we serve
Why us
You talk to a senior practitioner from day one, not a junior account coordinator routing messages. Strategy, scope, and the hard calls come from someone who's actually done the work. Library websites have compliance requirements and integration complexity that demand real expertise, not a middleman.
Every project runs through a structured process and closes with a 75+ point quality audit before launch. No library site ships without it. That audit includes accessibility checks, ILS integration verification, mobile performance, and form functionality across device types.
After launch, you get ongoing care plans and real support whenever you need us. The same team that built your library site is still the team answering your tickets a year later. When a plugin update breaks something before opening, you're not filing a support ticket into the void.
We don't split attention across five platforms. Depth beats breadth, and we've seen nearly every scenario a WordPress site can throw at us, from complex catalog API integrations to multi-branch architectures to accessibility remediations on sites that weren't built with compliance in mind.
Why us
WCAG 2.1 Level AA and ADA Title II aren't afterthoughts we bolt on at the end. Every design decision, every plugin selection, every content structure starts from the question of whether it holds up under the standard. For libraries with real compliance deadlines, that difference matters.
Connecting a WordPress front-end to SirsiDynix, Polaris, Evergreen, or a discovery layer like BiblioCommons or Aspen requires technical familiarity with library systems. We've done this work. We know where the integration points are and what can break them.
Library boards, Friends organizations, trustees, and the patrons they serve all have legitimate expectations around transparency, uptime, and accuracy. We design with those stakeholders in mind, not just the staff who update the calendar.
Libraries can't afford to treat their website as a one-and-done project. Accessibility standards evolve, plugins need updates, ILS APIs change. We build the relationship assuming you'll need us after launch, because you will.
Deeper reads pulled from our blog, all written with libraries in mind.
Good to know
The functional demands are much more specific. Library sites need to integrate with an ILS or discovery layer, manage a high-volume event calendar, handle multi-branch info, route to digital resources like OverDrive and Libby, and meet ADA/WCAG standards. Getting several wrong creates real problems for patrons and staff.
Yes. Under the DOJ's 2024 final rule for ADA Title II, all state and local government websites (including public libraries) must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Deadlines: April 24, 2026 for entities serving 50,000+, April 26, 2027 for smaller entities. Section 508 may also apply if you receive federal funding.
Yes. We work with the major ILS platforms (SirsiDynix Symphony/Horizon, Innovative Polaris, Evergreen) and discovery layers like BiblioCommons and Aspen Discovery. The integration approach depends on your system, authentication setup, and what patron-facing functionality you need.
Yes, and we plan for it from the start. Multi-branch systems need architecture that makes it easy for patrons to find their nearest location, see branch-specific hours, and filter events by branch. For larger systems, that means structured location post types, branch-specific templates, and clear wayfinding.
We build exclusively on WordPress. It's the right choice for most library sites: strong plugin ecosystem for event calendars, room booking, and accessibility tooling, easy content updates for non-technical staff, and a deep developer community. We've managed 800+ WordPress sites, which means depth most generalist agencies don't reach.
Most library projects take 3-5 months from kickoff to launch, depending on site size, ILS integration complexity, branch count, and content migration scope. Libraries with active accessibility remediation or heavy custom functionality may run longer. We'll map out a realistic timeline during discovery.
Yes. For libraries facing a compliance deadline but not ready for a full redesign, we offer accessibility audits and targeted remediation. We identify WCAG 2.1 Level AA failures, prioritize by severity, and fix systematically. Some sites are candidates for remediation, others need a full redesign, and we'll tell you straight after a proper audit.
Ongoing maintenance for a library WordPress site covers core and plugin updates, theme updates, uptime monitoring, backup management, security scanning, and regular testing to confirm that key integrations, including your catalog connection and event calendar, are working as expected. Accessibility monitoring is part of our maintenance work too, since plugin and theme updates can introduce regressions that break WCAG compliance. Learn more about WordPress maintenance for libraries.
Still have questions? We're happy to answer them, let's connect.
Who you'll work with
You'll talk to real senior practitioners from day one. No account coordinators, no offshore handoffs.
Founder & Managing Director
Operations Director & Chief Creative
Project Director
Care & Support Director
Tell us about your project and we'll take a look. No pushy sales, no wasted calls.
