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Signage Is Key By Minx
Hanson Today’s
library patron comes from a world of lively graphics and ready access to information.
Is that the kind of world he enters at your door? Does the place look
vibrant? Welcoming? Does he soon know where to start? Can she find her own
way? Effective library signage combines visual appeal with directional
information. Alone,
visual appeal is not enough. Too often, exciting, creative library designs
fail to include signage. This leaves the new facility vulnerable to
traditional library signage that often is too small to see (unless you’re two
feet in front of it), large signage that may spoil the overall design, no
signage at all, or signage that evolves without a plan for quality or
consistency. The
library environment, from the first step in the door, is as much an
informational tool as are the resources housed there. Patrons make way-finding
decisions as they move through the facility. Just as they look for
directional cues in a grocery store, in an airport, in a discount store, they
need meaningful visual cues in the library. Certainly,
a facility and collection organized with the end-user in mind is critical,
but it is the signage that unlocks it for the patrons. Can they readily find
your computer catalog? Can they look
up from that computer catalog and see where to go next? Can they read your
signs from a distance? Do your visual cues give them answers at every point
where they need to make a decision? Or is the library staff constantly
answering basic, directional questions? Or do the patrons leave, frustrated
and disappointed? If you are
planning a new library, incorporate signage with the plans and the budget for
interior design. It is not enough to work from the floor plans alone. The
height of the windows, the height of the bookshelves, the placement of light
switches, thermostats, air ducts -- all impact the interior design and
placement of signage. A full set of blueprints will provide elevation plans
indicating those details. Work with the scale printed on the blueprint, e.g.
¼” = 1’, to determine size and placement of artwork, displays and signage. If you
are working in an existing library, you have the advantage of knowing how it
functions, the kinds of directional questions your patrons ask, and any
unusual features of the physical plant that require extra signage. Take
photographs to evaluate your existing signage, preferably digital photos that
you can enlarge and print as worksheets. Make sure that your photographs show
what your patrons see as they move through the library. Are the major areas
identified for them with graphics that are large enough to see? Can they move
from general to specific, e.g., from catalog to nonfiction to exact shelf? This
picture shows why the middle-school media specialist decided to update the end cap and section labels. There was no
need for the redundant numbers on the end caps, the section lettering was too
small, and the colors could be better. Because
the light green of the floor tile and mauve in the upholstery were not strong
enough colors for effective signage, the dark green of the silk plants and
the soft yellow of the walls became the palette. Acrylic covers and brass screws added a finished look and durability to
the endcap labels. This media center features student artwork above the wall
stacks. Here, the fiction wall could handle a few more pieces of art. Create your own scale using photographs. Take actual
measurements in your facility, and then measure the same dimensions in your
photograph. Use the alegbraic formula to determine the ratio (it will change
for each photo) and to determine measurements that you cannot reach. Cut
paper bits to size and try different possibilities on your photo worksheet.
Using the
construction photograph as a worksheet during the renovation, signage was
ready on move-in day at this elementary media center. The 16” letter tiles,
reminiscent of children’s alphabet blocks, were large enough to allow more
muted colors… giving the large, open facility a softer, warmer appearance.
The vinyl banners of reader silhouettes are 30” wide by 40” high, hanging
just below the lights and above the wood trim.
More
signage is not necessarily better signage. Well-sized and strategically
placed signs can often reduce the need for quantity and help minimize clutter.
Whenever possible, use graphics instead of text, or a combination of both, to
add visual appeal to your overall design plan. And, have a plan, e.g. standardize type size, font and material for
point-of-use signage – establish a location and guidelines for community
notices (not taped haphazardly to the windows at the front entrance). Beware, “temporary” signs often become long-term signage.
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