Effective Library Signage: Tips, Tricks, & Best Practices (July 2018)

1. Effective Library Signage: Tips, Tricks, &
Best Practices Workshop
An ALA Webinar
Wednesday July 11, 2018
Mark Aaron Polger
Assistant Professor & First Year Outreach Librarian
College of Staten Island, CUNY
MarkAaron.Polger@csi.cuny.edu

2. Webinar Outline
● Signage as communications and marketing tool
● Why is signage important?
● Why a signage audit?
● Types of signs
● Audit Stages
● Phase 1 of Assessment
● Phase 2 of Assessment
● Replacement
● Before & After Examples
● Do’s and Don’ts
● Maintaining Effectiveness
● Continuous Assessment
● Conclusion

3. The College of Staten Island (CSI) Library
The 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 4 year 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
Information Literacy course

4. Webinar Poll
What are some of your signage problems?

5. Library Signage as Communications and Marketing Tool
Signage is targeted communications:
● 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:
● Unclear/mixed messages
● Outdated messages
● Too many signs
● Poorly placed signs
● Punitive or passive aggressive
● Inconsistent design
● Text heavy

7. Types of Signs
Promotional
Directional
Policy

8. Categories of Sign Production (optional)
1. Produced in-house (DIY)
2. Institutional (permanent)
3. Time sensitive (i.e. out of order signs)

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

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● outdated and punitive signage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
Incentive for participation: pens and chocolate

13. Cell Phone Policy Signs

14. Calculator Signs

15. Textbook Signs

16. Noise Policy Signs

17. Replacement Strategy
Created design templates
Tracked signage 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. Our “Code of Conduct” Poster
Before After

32. Use Real Images, not Clip Art
Before After

33. Strive for Student Diversity

34. Signage Should be Large Scale

35. Use Friendly Language
(avoid “no”)

36. Discover Bump Points

37. Create a Signage Locator Map

38. Keep Track of Your Signs
Fake Real

39. Mounting Tips
Avoid glare
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
Listen
Compromise
Hold in-person meetings
Designate a signage contact/team
Show proposed changes with supporting data
Develop allies like student government

42. Maintaining Effectiveness
Policy signs are ineffective if not enforced
Understand your audience:
>Ask questions of your patrons, use focus groups
and partner with campus groups
Signs are living documents!
>Continuously evaluate signs
>Assess bump points
>Revise and improve signage
>Revisit your signage policy

43. Webinar Poll
Do you have trouble getting buy-in?

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

45. Continuous Assessment
In 2017 and 2018 we conducted
new mini questionnaires and
began a series of semi structured
interviews.
Interviewees were given trail mix
and bottled water

46. Q1: Please rate your level of awareness to the
specific library policy signs

47. Q2: Please rate your level of awareness of our
promotional signs

48. Q3: If you eat in the library, what are some
the reasons? (check all that apply)

49. Q4: If you speak on your cell phone in the
library, what are some the reasons?(check all that apply)

50. Semi Structured Interviews (45 mins)
Asked groups of students (3-5 students)
Asked about feelings about policy signs
Policy signage (food, noise, and cell phones use)
Interviews were anonymous, recorded on digital
recorders, and transcribed using Dragon software

51. Emerging Themes from the Interviews
Food policy needs to be more flexible
Students should use their own judgement.
Cell phone use (speaking) should not be
prohibited but allowed in designated areas
Noise should be directed to specific floors (like zones)
Policy signs are more effective when consistently enforced by library
employees and security
Students also believed that signs should be funny, have bright colors, and
be very large so students won’t miss them.

52. Lessons Learned & Recommendations
Be friendly and consistent
Avoid jargon, all caps and the word “no”
Develop a clear message with few words
Incorporate realistic images (avoid clipart)
Placement is key
Create a signage policy
Create signage templates
Create a library brand
Get buy-in from your department
Don’t forget about ADA compliance
Revisit your signs and bump points regularly
Signs are living documents--be flexible and embrace change

53. Thank you!
Mark Aaron Polger, Assistant Professor
First Year Outreach Librarian
MarkAaron.Polger@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.

54. Questions?