Everyday Atmospherics for Presenting the Best of Your Library

1. Everyday Atmospherics for Presenting the Best of Your Library Mike Crumpton Assistant Dean for Administrative Services The University of North Carolina at Greensboro May 15, 2009 The Green Paraprofessional Conference

2. Atmospherics Library as a Place Exhibits Displays

3. Disclaimers • My experience and opinions • My examples are small compared to a world of creativity, look for it! • You already have a sense of environment • Experience will sharpen your senses • Challenge is to look beyond normal comfort zones, experiences and routine • Think drama, excitement, about creating not just a service, but also an experience

4. General Thoughts • Wide range of investment; equipment, working materials, staff time, exposure • Endless number of ideas for promotion • Numerous partners available, just ask • Atmospherics/exhibits/display/promotion applies to almost all organizations • Quality and effectiveness of finished product is not a financial reflection

5. What are Atmospherics? Kotler (1974) - …atmospherics is the conscious designing of space to create certain effects in buyers. Turley, Fugate and Milliman (1990) - …atmospherics is the controllable items connected with the internal and external environment of a facility that elicit an emotional or physiological reaction from customers.

6. Are Buyers the Same as Users • Destination choices, location is a decision • Product selection, investment in time • Part of routine, within larger scope of places to visit • Time constraint, busy, looking for social comfort

7. Elements of Atmospherics • Sensory Stimuli • Size • Color • Position • Novelty • Subliminal Perception • Occurs at an unconscious level • Attention/Drama • Adaptation (over exposure)

8. What can Atmospherics do for Libraries? • Creates “Silent” messages regarding perceptions of the facility • Helps create expectations of personal behaviors, and levels of service • Creates positive impression of collections and available resources • Improves patron’s emotional outlook and employees morale/mood

9. Retail Concepts that apply • Silent salesmen • Self selection • Cost of advertising • Unwanted goods • Connected to other parts of org • Must be consistent • As part of business component, display is a performance measurement

10. Marketing’s Seven P’s • Product • Pricing • Promotion • Placement • People • Process • Physical evidence • Information • Time and attention • Exhibits/displays • Target interest group • Matches interest • Connection to environment • Explanations

11. How do you Spell SUCCESS? Retailers • Larger and more frequent purchases • Better product identification • Higher sales and higher profits • Increased customer satisfaction Libraries • Improved image of library and larger organization • Improved perception of collections and services • Better support for library’s mission and community involvement

12. Active Atmospherics Exhibits and Displays

13. Exhibits In this workshop we are disgusting between external exhibits and internal displays • Exhibits can be requested, invited or developed • Exhibits should reflex a theme that is of interest to patron base • Exhibits and displays are similar in that your are instructing through presentation

14. Examples • Permanent memorials • Traveling collections • Local artist or collections • Historical preservation • Local organization activities • Educational institution promotions • Community messages • Public Service

15. Factors to Consider • Associated cost • Liability • Resources needed • Equipment • Staff • Controversial topic • Setting a prescient • Local publicity • Community officials

16. Exhibit Checklist • Have you communicated important, factual information? • Have you emphasize the significant? • Are all the facts accurate? • Have you said too much? • Have you used the best possible visual materials? • Is the design too cluttered?

17. Creating In-House Displays • WHY • WHAT • WHEN • WHERE • HOW • WHO

18. The Elements of Visual Merchandising

19. Aspects to Consider • Color • Balance • Symmetry • Emphasis • Harmony • Proportion • Rhythm

20. Color • Primary • Yellow, red and blue • Secondary • Orange, violet and green • Neutrals • Black, brown and white

21. Use of Color • Monochromatic Color • Primary use of one color • Break monotony with variation in tones and shades • Analogous Color • Similar colors – themed • Complementary Color • Opposites that complement each other • Combinations easier with experience

22. Balance • Formal Balance • Right and left sides are the same in size, placement, shape and color. • Creates feelings of dignity, restraint and conservatism and supports institutionalism • Informal Balance • Uses varieties of object, color, placement, size, and shape on opposite sides • Creates activity, excitement and variety

23. Symmetry and Harmony • Symmetry is: • Correspondence of opposite parts in size, shape or position. • Balance of form, each side the same • This is formal balance • Harmony is: • Arrangements pleasing • Ideas, concepts actual materials make sense • Displays not over crowded

24. Emphasis • Focal point of the display • Placement could be centered or upper left • Can be large dominate object • Can be contrasting color, shape, texture • Can direct flow of attention

25. Other considerations • Fixtures/equipment • Mannequins/forms • Stands/pedestals/blocks/platforms (height) • Lightning/spots (make a difference) • Seasonal props • Storage • Windows • Negative space • Support items; publisher, ALA,etc.

26. Signs • Define the purpose of posting a sign • It’s not a substitute for telling • Invest if proper substance • Not hand written • Appropriate size font • Use of color or symbols to help message • Permanent vs. temporary • Use as a tool • Understand expectation

27. Themes • Seasons • Holidays • National and local anniversaries • Literary or information related themes • Community events • Sponsorships • Personal or subject interest • Contests or active events (scavenger hunts, quizzes, passport events)

28. Interactive Display • Theme: National Nutrition Month • Notice balance, focal point, use of color • Top shelf with jar of beans was active ingredient • Additional posted supplied information for contest

29. Using Case for Visuals • Not many material items • Back of case formed primary information canvas • Protected from misuse • Motivation was International students

30. Project Board Exhibits • Agreement fit regular schedule of class • Generates high interest from department • Provides venue for friends/family • Creates an event and its FREE!

31. Spreading Out

32. Take me Display

33. Bookstore Model

34. Octagon at Front Door

35. Be a part of what’s popular • Don’t leave popular reading to the bookstores • Be aware of public expectations i.e., NYTBS • Feature face outs speak for themselves • Note: fixture is customized for this

36. Great use of Drama across the TOP

37. Mixing Formats

38. The Art of the Dust Jacket • Chip Kidd • “book jackets give the book visual meaning” • A hardcover book is like a luxury item that appeals to a persons sense of belonging to the story. • The financial commitment can become an emotional one. • Good book jacket art helps a person make a connection with the story

39. Veronique Vienne, a designer turned writer, who offers another view: "Whether or not we know it, we all judge a book by its cover. Its role is to communicate not only what the book is about, but who will enjoy reading it. There is a subliminal language of images and typography that speaks directly to the subconscious mind of the potential book buyer.“ Some covers, she says, can be misleading: "Serious anthropological studies can be disguised as mystery novels, but more often than not, they accurately reflect the mood, the style and the literary merits of what's between the covers."

40. Showing off the Dust Jackets

41. Other Retail Considerations • Big, Bad Graphics • Use of slot wall and plexi holders • Subject categories defined or displayed • Hierarchy of signs • Vendors are out there with you in mind • Cost of doing business • Be mobile when needed • Be flexible always

42. Staff Recommends • Adds personal touch • Should connect to a real person • Multiple copies or back-up • Change often • Teach good descriptive writing • Gets everyone involved

43. Use of Logos

44. Quality First Impressions • Professional sign and sign holder • Positive welcome • Basic rules • No overload • Staff tool • Sets overall tone • Does have flexibility • Takes focus off alarm

45. Overhead Signs need to Stand Out

46. Posting Stuff • Community boards should be maintained or kept clean and updated • Staff boards or posting should be professional or private • Some type of standard should be in place • Policy should provide guidelines especially as a tool to say no • A posting center is not a display but can be perceived as one

47. Culinary Display

48. Sunshine Week

49. Women’s History Month

50. Cooking up Your Own Displays • Commit to a program • Generate ideas that will provide a consistent and ongoing commitment • Gather resources • Space, furniture, equipment, staff, etc. • Select materials • Involve people • Market your efforts • Solicit feedback