Effective Library Signage: Tips, Tricks, and Best Practices

1. Effective Library Signage: Tips, Tricks, &
Best Practices Workshop
Thursday January 5, 2017
Mark Aaron Polger
Assistant Professor & First Year Experience Librarian
College of Staten Island, CUNY
Amy F. Stempler
Associate Professor & Coordinator of Library Instruction
College of Staten Island, CUNY

2. Webinar Outline
● Introduction and background
● Why is signage important?
● Why perform a signage audit?
● Types of signs
● Categories of signs
● Audit Results
● Phase 1 of Assessment
● Phase 2 of Assessment
● Replacement strategy
● Before & After Examples
● Do’s and Don’ts
● Maintaining Effectiveness
● Adopting New Signage Values
● Conclusion

3. The College of Staten Island (CSI) Library
College of Staten Island is one of the 24 colleges of the City University of New York (CUNY).
We are a comprehensive college and one of the seven senior colleges within the system.
● 14,000 students
● 204 acre campus
● New student residences
● 30,000 square foot library
● 14 full time librarians, 10 adjuncts
● 65 staff in total
● We offer a popular, one-credit course

4. Discussion
What are some of your signage problems?
What do you hope we address today?

5. Why is Library Signage Important?
Signage is targeted communication with your patrons that:
● promotes Library events, programs, and courses
● outlines Library policies
● provides directions to Library materials and facilities

6. Why Perform a Signage Audit?
Performing a signage audit allows you to quantify and better understand your
current signage, as well as to help identify issues that may be leading to less
effective signage, such as:
● Too many signs
● Poorly placed signs
● Unclear/mixed messages
● Punitive or passive aggressive tone
● Inconsistent design
● Too much text

7. Types of Signs
1.Promotional/informational
1.Policy
1.Directional

8. Categories of Signs
1.In-house (DIY)
2.Permanent (institutional)
3.Temporary (i.e. out of order signs)

9. Discussion
Have you ever conducted a signage audit?
If yes, what problems did you discover?
What did you learn?

10. Audit Results = Mass Removal
As a result of our audit, we removed:
● outdated and punitive signage
● signage that was text heavy
● handwritten signs

11. Phase 1 of Assessment
Approximately 60 library
employees participated
Faculty and staff identified
preferred font face, font size,
and language preference
Buy-in was challenging

12. Phase 2 of Assessment
Signage preference questionnaire (N=325)
Students received 6 signs with identical messages
in both old and new designs
Students were asked to select their preferred signs
Solicited open ended comments

13. Cell Phone Policy Signs

14. Calculator Signs

15. Textbook Signs

16. Noise Policy Signs

17. Replacement Strategy
Created design templates
Tracked sign location
Replaced with half the number of signs

18. Design Guidelines
1. Consistency
2. Font type
3. Font color
3. Sign orientation
4. Branding
5. Language/Controlled vocabulary
6. Tone (is it punitive?)
7. Visuals (photos)
8. Placement
9. ADA compliance

19. Avoid…
ALL CAPS
Clutter
Signs with no images
Walls and Furniture
Visible Tape
Handwritten signs
Fancy fonts (not legible)
Passive Aggressive Tone
Confusing/Contradictory Signs
Glare (ADA compliance)

20. Avoid All caps…

21. Avoid Clutter

22. Avoid Clipart

23. For example

24. Avoid Handwritten Signs
Handwritten signs are:
Unprofessional
Unwelcoming
Often illegible and are not considered official

25. Avoid Mounting on Walls, Doors, & Furniture
(use frames, bulletin boards or easels)

26. Avoid Glare and Use Contrast

27. Avoid Contradictory Messages

28. Avoid Passive Aggressive/ Punitive Signs
Threatening message? Construction zone? All caps = yellingRed stop sign?

29. Create Templates & A Signage Policy

30. Embrace Simplicity

31. Another example
Our “Code of Conduct” used to resemble the U.S. Constitution,
so we created a simpler R.E.S.P.E.C.T. awareness campaign

32. Use images
Before After

33. Strive for Inclusivity

34. Signage Should be Large Scale

35. Create a User Friendly Experience
(trying to avoid “no”)

36. Discover Bump Points

37. Create a Signage Locator Map

38. Keep Track of Your Signs
fake real

39. Mounting Tips
Avoid Visible Tape
Use double sided tape.
If unavailable, create temporary double sided
tape by looping regular tape together
Avoid crooked signs
Mount signs in a straight and centered manner

40. Mounting Tips Part 2
Mount at eye level
Be mindful of sightlines
Make use of holders, frames and bulletin boards
Avoid mounting on furniture

41. Getting Buy-In
Be patient, this takes time
Listen
Compromise
In-Person Meetings
Designate a Signage Contact/Team
Data supports decisions
Partner with other campus groups

42. Maintaining Effectiveness
Policy signs are ineffective if not enforced
Understand your audience
Ask questions & use focus groups
Consistency (design, brand, fonts)
Always revise and improve
Continuously evaluate signs
Partner with campus groups

43. Maintaining Effectiveness
Weekly signage stroll
Signage is effective when current
Ongoing assessment
Try different sizes
Revisit signage policy
Tweak templates
Assess your bump points

44. Discussion
What are some of your challenges and obstacles at your institutions?
Do you have trouble getting buy-in?

45. Our Challenges
Enforcing policies
Lack of buy-in / support
Signs often go unread
Vandalism
Culture shift might be slow

46. Lessons Learned
Avoid jargon
Develop a clear message
Use few words
Incorporate realistic images (avoid clipart)
Avoid “no”
Avoid all caps
Signs are living documents--be flexible and embrace change
Signs should be continuously evaluated
Placement is key

47. Recommendations
Revisit your signs continuously
Be Consistent
Be friendly
Create a signage policy
Create signage templates
Create a library brand
Get buy-in from your department
Don’t forget about ADA compliance

48. Thank you!
Mark Aaron Polger, Assistant Professor & First Year Experience Librarian
MarkAaron.Polger@csi.cuny.edu
Amy F. Stempler, Associate Professor & Coordinator of Library Instruction
Amy.Stempler@csi.cuny.edu
Stempler, A. F., & Polger, M.A. (2013). Do You See the Signs? Evaluating Language,
Branding, and Design in a Library Signage Audit. Public Services Quarterly,
9(2), 121-135.
Polger, M.A., & Stempler, A.F. (2014). Out with the Old, In with the New: Best
Practices for Replacing Library Signage. Public Services Quarterly, 10(2),
67-95.

49. Questions?