Session: Auditing & Replacing Library Signage

Signs are living documents

Signage

Communicates

Promotes                            (promotional)

Provides direction            (directional)

Describes policies             (informational)

Bad signage

Too many

Poor placement

Inconsistent design (= confusing)

Punitive

Too much text

Clutter

Handwritten

Tape

Must have a controlled thesaurus for signage

Signs:

1.       In house (DIY)

2.       Permanent (institutional)

3.       Temporary (i.e. out of order)

4.       External (for the public)

Get buy-in from Dean to remove

                Outdated

                Punitive

                Text heavy

                Hand written

People are not going up to a sign to read the fine print

Literature says san serif for readability

Assessment = survey the employees for prefereed font, size, language

Buy in can be challenging

“24x36” no more than 5 words with real photos

Students feel offended by passive aggressive signage

Create design templates

Track location of signs

Be mindful of placement

Remove ½ the signs

Avoid glare (laminating)

No all caps

Co-brand & depart name

Bump points or touch points for signs

                Where decision points such as elevator or top of stairs

Used a red border onpolicy signs

Signs… the library is not a parking lot

Silent study (that’s all the sign says)

ADA: avoid glare, embrace contrast

Respect sign/campaign, not code of contact that looked like constitution

Signs on easels or holders not on walls, furniture

No fancy fonts

No posting on doors & walls

No visible tape

Signage Policy (LMAO) ACRL

1-2 people designated signage team. Get buy in if possible, at least from Dean

Data for buy-in/focus groups

Enforce policies or don’t have them.

Weekly signage stroll

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