A modern refresh for Hamilton Libraries

Our Libraries are a busy, much-loved part of life in Kirikiriroa.

Thousands of library users rely on the website every week to find books, browse events, manage their accounts and connect with their local library.

From the well trodden entrances, through the dedicated people and in our homes, the libraries presence is deeply rooted in our communities.

The Hamilton Libraries website has worked hard for the community for years, and it was time to give it the modern, accessible experience that will help keep libraries a central part of daily life in Hamilton.

This wasn't a rebuild from scratch. It was the next chapter.

In 2025, we'd worked with the Hamilton Libraries team on an information architecture review of the site's navigation.

We restructured the mega menu and added clearer signposting so that previously buried sections (like the digital library and its many services) were lifted higher up the hierarchy. Library users no longer had to click into a parent page to discover what lived underneath. The mega menu now opens those sections up immediately, giving users a much clearer view of where they can go and what's on offer.

With navigation and search already in great shape, we now had the opportunity to focus on three things that would compound that earlier work:

• Modernising the visual design so the site felt as contemporary as the experience the library team delivers in branch.
• Empowering library staff with a better backend, smarter content tools, and faster workflows.

Strengthening accessibility and usability so the site genuinely serves every member of the community.

When we rebuild a website, the first question we ask is if the content right.

Because we already understood the site, the team, and the library users, we could skip the rediscovery phase and get straight to the work that mattered.

The kick-off workshop focused on the home page, events, and the backend changes the library team needed most. That let us move quickly and spend the budget on outcomes, not overhead.

Fortunately, the website content was already fairly strong. Every existing content element (16+ of them, from accordions and intros to media galleries, tiles grids and upcoming events) got redesigned with a fresh, cohesive visual language. We also condensed and consolidated where it made sense, leaving room for two new content blocks that would unlock new ways for the team to present their collection.

Here are some of the highlights we love most

Hamilton Libraries publishes a lot of reading lists, "What Did I Miss" features and curated recommendations.

Previously, every book required staff to manually source a cover image, write blurb copy, and hand-build the layout.

We integrated an ISBN lookup service that pulls in cover images, author info, genre, descriptions and more from a single ISBN.

Paired with a new Book Tiles element, staff can now build a beautifully formatted reading list in a fraction of the time, with every tile linking through to the catalogue on E-Kotui. Less admin. More reading.

Events are a huge part of what Hamilton Libraries do, and the team creates and manages a lot of them.

We rebuilt the backend workflow to make event creation faster and less error-prone, refreshed both the event listing and individual event pages, and added quality-of-life improvements like highlights that auto-remove on a set date.

Clickable links inside notification banners, and form validation also helps prevent duplicate submissions.

The result is a smoother experience for the team behind the scenes, and a clearer one for library users looking for something to go to.

Libraries exist for everyone, so the website has to as well.

We built the new site to exceed WCAG 2.2 AA, with keyboard navigation throughout, clear focus indicators, semantic HTML, proper heading hierarchy, descriptive link text, skip links, and a logical reading order for screen readers.

 Visual accessibility got the same attention: sufficient contrast ratios, readable typography, no reliance on colour alone, and autoplay removed from sliders.

We also rolled out our alternative text solution across images and media, so accessibility isn't a tax on the team, it's built in.

The home page is the front door, and the library pages are the introduction to each unique library our communities can engage with.

Both got an accessible, contemporary visual overhaul with modernised typography, improved spacing, refined button and link styles, refreshed image treatments, and a consistent visual language across every page.

The information architecture and mega menu stayed where they were (because they were working), but everything around them now feels of-the-moment.

The home page is the front door, and the library pages are the introduction to each unique library our communities can engage with.

Both got an accessible, contemporary visual overhaul with modernised typography, improved spacing, refined button and link styles, refreshed image treatments, and a consistent visual language across every page.

The information architecture and mega menu stayed where they were (because they were working), but everything around them now feels of-the-moment.