Restroom Signage and the Captive Audience

I’ve always wondered why there isn’t more signage in library restrooms. Libraries can take advantage of captive audiences by regularly updating signage on the back of stall doors and above urinals. Many people don’t really even like to think or talk about this, but it’s a great way to promote your library’s upcoming events, book clubs, and other library-related programs.

Remember these tips when creating restroom signage:

  • Use eye-catching graphics
  • Don’t use too much verbiage
  • For calendars of events, remember to update weekly or monthly
  • Update restroom signage prior to opening or after closing
  • Update the staff restrooms as well as the public restrooms
  • Use acrylic sign holders with suction cups so they can periodically be removed and cleaned
  • Always use your library’s logo and branding
  • Try to stick with your library’s brand color scheme

Share your library’s restroom signage thoughts and ideas with a comment. What works well and what would you do differently given the opportunity?

What is a Public Library Signage Audit – and why is it so important?

Library signage sets the tone not only of the individual library branch, but also of the whole county library system. All library signage should be positive, brief, and consistent. The following are both positive and negative library signage general rules of thumb:

Positive

  • Polite language
  • Not verbose – get to the point
  • Consistently use library logo/branding
  • No typos
  • Correct grammar
  • Font and font size
  • Image that supports content

Negative

  • Handwritten
  • Too many words
  • Clip art (try to use photography if possible)
  • Comic sans font (use font that is similar to the library’s standard font selection/branding)
  • Passive aggressive
  • Too many colors
  • Too much going on

A library signage audit is not only an audit of the library’s signs, but it may also relate to the library’s internal and external image including printed materials, customer service, grounds, and community perceptions.

During the signage audit, photographs will be taken of most of the library branch’s signs. Later, a visual report will be created with a list of what your branch is doing well and recommendations for what to change. The report may be used to look more closely at each library branch’s signage and make decisions about the type of signage that may be best suited to that community’s needs.

Does your library need a signage audit or signage training? If so, contact me and I’ll be glad to discuss it with you: curtisrogersconsulting@gmail.com.

Library Training Options

Are you interested in an online training session? I can customize the perfect training session for your library staff, trustees, or friends group. Sessions take place via zoom and can be for up to 100 attendees. While working for the South Carolina State Library, I conducted many different training sessions both online and in-person. Here is a recorded session titled, Library Signage: the good, the bad, and the ugly. And here is another session I developed to help library staff members develop networking skills based on understanding personality types titled, Networking Skills for Library Staff.

I thoroughly enjoy providing training to library staff members and am happy to work with you on creating the perfect training session for you! Feel free to contact me today to discuss your library’s needs.

curtisrogersconsulting@gmail.com