for Greenville Technical College staff day October 20 2015

1. Greenville Technical College
October 20, 2015
Dr. Curtis R. Rogers,
Communications Director

2.  Introductions and
presentation style
 How it started.
 Library signage is
public relations.
 What is a signage
audit?
 Signage exercises
 Creating a signage
policy.
 Effective library signage
concepts and
resources.

3.  2012
ALCOP
Conference
 (Assn. of Library
Communications
and Outreach
Professionals)
 Now – Library
Communications
Conference

4. Why is good signage
important?
Public vs. Staff area
signage.
Have you ever seen
passive-aggressive
library signs?
How can we solve
this problem?

5. Visit retail locations
Looks and learn from
their signs
Branding?
Negative or positive?
Handwritten?
Printed? B&W/Color?

6. GROUP EXERCISE (10 minutes)
Each group receives real life library signs.
Think of how to reword the sign to make it
more friendly and have fewer words (use
back of sheet).
Remember: Keep it Simple!
Each group will have an opportunity to
share their new signs.

7. How to conduct a
simple signage
audit:
1. Walk around
library with camera
2. Take photos of all
and any kind of
signage
3. Upload and view
slideshow

8. SCSL Signage Audit
http://ow.ly/qyMCH
• Created set of
library signs in
flickr
• Worked with
Editorial
Committee to
review signs
• Still in the
process of
replacing old
signs…

9. Remnants

10. Before
After

11. Before
After

14. Before
After

15. Before

16. After

17.  Get examples
 Review with your
library’s Editorial (or
similar) Committee
 Break out policy into
components relevant to
your library:
• Mission
• Categories
• Design Elements
• Requesting Library
Signage

19.  Create templates
 Use controlled
vocabulary
 Include your library’s
logo
 Decide on set colors
 Decide on a font
family
 Library leadership
must be on board
 Establish a signage
committee if needed
 Educate staff at
meetings
 Appoint signage
contact(s)
 Post templates to
intranet or send via
email
 Keep current (signage
evolves)

20.  Flickr
 Pinterest
 PR Talk Listserv
 The Accidental Library
Marketer
 The Customer-
Focused Library: Re-
Inventing the Public
Library From the
Outside-In

21.  OPTIONAL break time activity
 Take _____ minutes
 By yourself or with a partner
 Walk around the library and
look critically at each sign
you come across
 Make a note of GOOD
Signage
 Make suggestions on how to
CHANGE signage
 Don’t just say you don’t like a
sign. Provide input.
 Group discussion

23. ● group input
● brief history of Social Media
● Social Media in SC Libraries
● social media policies
● important resources
● brainstorming exercise

24. can you name these popular social
media icons?

27. Why?
How does your
library
PROMOTE
social media?
Other options?

28. 2001 Wikipedia launches
2002 Friendster
2003 LinkedIn
2004 MySpace, Gmail, Flickr, Facebook
2005 YouTube, Mashable
2006 MySpace, Twitter, Google buys YouTube
2007 Apple releases iPhone
2008 Facebook is most popular defeating MySpace; iTunes
starts App store
2009 Twitter is 3rd highest ranked, Foursquare starts,
Wordpress reaches 202M users
2010 Facebook reaches 500 million active users
2011 Twitter and Facebook play role in Egyptian Revolution
http://www.infoplease.com/science/computers/social-media-timeline.html

32. 1. What are some innovative ways you
COULD use social media for your library?
2. What are some ways you SHOULD
NOT use social media for your library?
3. What do you think are the best social
network tools and why?
4. What are your next steps to use social
media more effectively to promote your
library’s services and events?

33. Thank you!
Please feel
free to
contact me.
Dr. Curtis R. Rogers
803-734-8928
 crogers@statelibrary.sc.gov