LMI (Library management institute) Summer conference- library signage presentation

1. Library Facelift: Syncing Library Signage with a College’s New Brand Mark Aaron Polger, Assistant Professor Instruction/Reference Librarian College of Staten Island City University of New York MarkAaron.Polger@csi.cuny.edu Amy F. Stempler, Assistant Professor Coordinator of Library Instruction College of Staten Island City University of New York Amy.Stempler@csi.cuny.edu

2. Agenda • Introduction • Background • Determining Signs by Content and Mounting Method • Determining "Decision Points" • The Process of Replacing Temporary Signs • Best Practice Guidelines Document • Signage Placement Map (Locator Tool) • Conclusion

3. The College The College of Staten Island (hereafter CSI) • Four-year, senior college of the City University of New York (hereafter CUNY) • Established in 1976 from merger of Richmond College (1965) and Staten Island Community College (1956) • CSI offers programs in the liberal arts and sciences leading to degrees from the associate to graduate level • CSI moved to the grounds of the former Willowbrook State School in 1993 • The 204-acre campus represents the largest CUNY campus in New York City

4. The Library • The Library is housed in the 1L Building, which also occupies the Cyber Café, Academic Support, the Social Work Program, the Faculty Center, Computer Labs, and a Public Safety satellite office • The 30,000 square foot,three-floor Library features a large rotunda leading to a dome in the ceiling. There are computers on all floors, though printers and photocopies are only on the first two, as the third floor is designated as a silent floor o First floor: Circulation/Reserves Desk, Reference Desk and Reference Area, and administrative offices o Second floor: Library Learning Lab, Archives & Special Collections, group study rooms, K-12 Text Collection, and additional office space o Third floor: Circulating book collection, printed periodicals, individual study carrels, and reading alcoves

5. Background: Signage Audit In 2012, we conducted an audit of signs produced in-house, omitting permanent, institutionally-produced signs. We evaluated: • language • branding • design • ADA compliance • consistency • placement This study was published an article last month in Public Services Quarterly.

6. Signage Audit Results • Three generations of signs were discovered. Signage was often outdated, and contained conflicting messages and various designs • Signs were classified into three typologies o policy o informational (promotional) o directional • Signs were assigned three mediums o permanent o in-house o temporary

7. Examples- Handwritten signs

8. Examples-Taped-up & taped-over signs

9. Examples-Clutter and outdated signs

10. Examples-Contradictory signs

11. Step 1: Assess, Remove,Replace Step 1: • Perform a walk-through and account for outdated and incorrect signage • Determine decision points for replacement • Remove and replace strategically o Replace with more meaningful (and less) signs o Add bulletin boards and large postered signage o Avoid clutter 1st floor, informational and policy signs 2nd floor, mostly policy and some informational signs 3rd floor, mostly policy, some informational and few directional signs   

12. Step 2: Best Practice Document • Create sample templates • Create designs for different purposes • Create signage map locator • Create signage policy • Assign signage contacts • Adhere to ADA compliance • Create a thesaurus for consistent language • Gather feedback from colleagues and patrons • Re-visit signs regularly

13. Signage Locator Mapping Tool entrance to library's main floor

14. Signage Locator Mapping Tool

16. Step 3: Signage Policy 101 Elements of a Signage Policy I. Mission Statement II. Library Signage Classification o signage message (promotional, directional, policy) o signage type (temporary, in-house, permanent) III. Design Checklist 1. Consistency 2. Font type 3. Font color 3. Sign orientation 4. Branding 5. Language 6. Tone (is it punitive?) 7. Visuals (photos) 8. Placement 9. ADA compliance

17. Step 3: Signage Policy 101 Elements of a Signage Policy IV. Requesting Library Signage 1. Signage Request: Any staff or faculty member may fill out a sign request. 2. Signage Approval: All requests are forwarded to the Chief Librarian and the designated signage contact person. Requests must be approved by the Chief Librarian and will be prioritized by the following criteria: a. Time sensitive events (Library events or programs) b. Policy or directional additions or revisions V. Installation of Signs 1. Permanent Signs All permanent signs may be requested through the Chief Librarian. A permanent sign request form will be made available through the Library’s Intranet Web Site. 1. In-house Signs In-house signs may be requested by contacting the designated signage person. A temporary signage request form will be made available through the Library’s Intranet.

18. Step 4: Designate a Signage Contact Duties include: • Perform an audit at the beginning and end of each semester to account for currency and accuracy of signs • Prepare reports for the Chief Librarian and update colleagues at Department Meetings • Evaluates and revises best practice guidelines

19. Step 5: Mounting and Placement • Avoid visible tape • Avoid placing signs over older signs • Avoid taping on walls and furniture. Instead, strategically placed bulletin boards and plastic holders are recommended • To prevent glare, avoid lamination and placement under direct light • Consult the signage map to keep track of location

20. Step 6: Workflow Management Create a workflow to: • Confirm temporary (time-sensitive) signs are appropriately removed • Ensure that signs have not been vandalized, damaged, moved, or lost • Schedule regular signage updates

21. Conclusion • Document guidelines and policies • Make templates available • Advocate that signage be on the departmental agenda • Accept that departmental buy-in may take time • Budget: Even in-house signage has costs • Signs are living documents