Seeing the Signs

Customer service and library signage go hand in hand.

When was the last time you walked around your library and really looked closely at all of the signs? Is it time for a signage audit?

More than likely, you don’t even have the time or are able to take the time to look critically at each and every sign in your facility. Those signs were placed there for a variety of reasons: policies, procedures, clarification, assistance, and more. Are all the signs easy to understand? Do your patrons (maybe some of whom haven’t stepped into a library in years) know what YA, OCLC, OPAC, ILL, J Easy, and other library acronyms actually mean? Are the signs in your library simply making things worse by making everything more confusing?

Does your public service desk have a “signage barrier”? This is the term I use when I see a row of acrylic holders with 8.5″x11″ signs announcing events and programs side by side with multiple brochure stands full of out-of-date information. How does this affect customer service and interactions with patrons?

Are you paying attention to grammar, abbreviations, font size, colors, branding, and consistency? We all need to think critically about how our customers see the signs in our facilities. We also need to think, less is more!

I can provide your library system a one-hour webinar all about library signage. I have also conducted more than 70 library signage audits. Feel free to get in touch with me to discuss your library training needs when it comes to library signage and I’ll be happy to help.