ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries February 1993 / 79 W here do I go from here? B y J a ck ie K in d er a n d C a th erin e E ck m a n Good signage m akes f o r a more user-friendly library A g o o d signage system is o n e o f th e m ost im portant elem ents involved in p ro m o t ing user satisfaction in any building o p e n to the public. This is true w h eth er th e building in qu estio n is a sh o p p in g mall, bank, hospital, or library. The u ser’s p ercep tio n s o f the building an d its services will b e affected, consciously o r u n consciously, b y th e building’s signage o r lack thereof. Signage is the first thing m ost p e o p le will seek u p o n entering a building, especially an unfam iliar one. If signage is not available, o r if it is in ad eq u a te or unattractive, the u s e r’s perceptions an d ex pectations can be negatively affected. At T hom as C o o p e r Library, U niversity o f South Carolina, a m ajor signage project w as recently com pleted. This project w as initiated as the result of a p erceiv ed n eed by b o th li brary users a n d staff for directional an d infor m ational signs th ro u g h o u t the building. The prim ary objective w as to enh an ce accessibility to library collections an d services. B ackground T hom as C ooper Library w as built in 1959 to be u se d as an un d erg rad u ate library. In 1976 th e building w as enlarged an d becam e th e m ain cam pus library, h o using b o th the graduate an d u n dergraduate collections. In this second p h ase o f construction 290,000 square feet w ere a d d e d by ex p an d in g o n to th e rear o f th e library an d building additional levels underground. B ecause m ost o f the n e w e r addition is b e lo w ground, users are not im m ediately aw are, u p o n entering the building, o f the actual size o f th e library. Stairs to th e low er levels are no t visible o r easily accessible. For aesthetic reasons th e building h a d never b e e n e q u ip p e d w ith ad eq u ate signage. Indeed, there w ere originally very few signs in the build ing. T hose that did exist w ere eith er confusing o r to o small, an d thus often overlooked. W hile th e library h a d b e e n in n e e d o f ad e q u ate signage for m any years, tw o m ajor o r ganizational changes s p e a rh e a d e d this particu lar project. First, a substantial staff shortage necessitated the reassignm ent o f stack-level per s o n n e l to o th e r lib rary d e p a rtm e n ts . T h ere w o u ld n o longer b e staff available o n th e low er levels to assist users. S econd, th e b u ild in g ’s floors w ere renum bered. It w as n o w critical that users b e able to find their w ay a ro u n d th e build ing w ith little or n o help. Since students often perceive th e library as confusing an d unorganized, a n d are intim idated by its size an d the am ounts o f inform ation avail able, it is im portant for signage to en h a n c e th e im age o f th e library as user-friendly an d not ad d to an already existing negative im age. We d eterm in ed th at a com b in atio n o f signs an d various library h an d o u ts (e.g., a self-guided li brary to u r h a n d o u t w h ich included a building cross section an d floor p lan h an d o u ts for the various stack levels) w o u ld b e necessary to al leviate u ser frustration a n d h elp users find their w ay aro u n d the building. The signage project w as, therefore, p art o f a larger effort by the library to h elp users b eco m e m ore self-suffi cient. The accom panying checklist w as designed to aid in th e plan n in g a n d im plem entation o f the library signage project. Conclusion Q u ality sig n ag e is o n e in d ic a to r o f a user- friendly library. A successful sig n ag e system involves b o th plan n in g for initial im plem enta tion an d periodic review to allow for changes. Signs a p p ro p riate at o n e time will m ost likely n e e d to be revised as th e library adds o r changes services, access points, a n d functions. Jackie K inder a n d Catherine Eckm an are reference librarians a t the University o f South Carolina, Columbia 8 0 / C&RL News Basic considerations for good library signage P re lim in a ry p la n n in g • W alk th ro u g h th e b uilding a n d try to ex p erien ce it from the u se r’s perspective • Look at th e b uilding’s floor p lan s for ideas ab o u t w h e re signage is n e e d e d • D eterm ine w h at the m ost frequently a sk e d directional qu estio n s are • Ask for in p u t from o th e r library staff • D eterm ine w h at ty p e o f signs are n e e d e d (e.g., service points: circulation, ref erence; facilities: copiers, p h o n e s, restroom s; directional: getting a ro u n d the building, getting a ro u n d a floor, getting o u t o f th e building) • Look at sign catalogs an d sam ples for ideas • D eterm in e sign form at (e.g., m o u ld ed -in jected letters, h an g in g signs, signs m o u n ted o n walls, p ain ted -o n signs, o r a com bination o f the above) • Select th e ty p e o f lettering to b e u se d • Select colors to b e u se d for lettering an d b ack g ro u n d • D eterm ine h o w large signs an d lettering sh o u ld be • D eterm ine w h at signs sh o u ld say (this sh o u ld b e con sisten t th ro u g h o u t the library, including library h an d o u ts) • D eterm ine th e n u m b e r o f signs n e e d e d Successful sig n a g e should m e e t th e fo llo w in g c riteria V isib ility • Signs for major service points sh o u ld b e visible from th e en tran ce if possible • Signs sho u ld be visible from a reaso n ab le distance • Signs sho u ld be visible from an y direction • A building cross section sign sh o u ld b e visible from th e en tran ce to h elp orient th e u ser to th e building A e sth e tic s • Signs sh o u ld n o t clash w ith th e b uilding’s d e c o r o r p u rp o se • Signs s h o u ld b e n u m e r o u s e n o u g h to e n s u r e th a t u s e rs fin d w h a t th e y n eed , b u t n o t so m an y as to a p p e a r visually overw helm ing o r cluttered M a in t e n a n c e /c o s t s • Signs sh o u ld b e difficult to deface o r vandalize • Signs sh o u ld b e easy a n d inexpensive to u p d a te o r ch an g e • Signs sh o u ld b e d u rab le • Signs sh o u ld b e easy to clean • Cost of signs sh o u ld include installation U se r -fr ie n d lin e s s • Signs sh o u ld b e easy to read • “YOU ARE HERE” indicators in contrasting colors sh o u ld b e u s e d o n building cross sections an d floor plans • Building cross sections sh o u ld b e lo cated in stairw ells an d b o th inside an d outside of elevators • Floor plans sh o u ld n o t b e so d etailed as to b e confusing to th e user • Exit signs sh o u ld b e clearly m ark ed • Braille signs sh o u ld b e in clu d ed