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Library Planning: Signage Audit

Overview

No matter the size or type of your library, you likely have signs all over your space. Look around—you'll start noticing the signs marking everything from policies and bathroom locations to programs and library sections. A signage audit is meant to have the library staff look critically at all of their signage and make sure it is up-to-date, necessary, clear, and in line with library branding.

A formal signage audit requires buy-in from all staff members. You can start by putting together a simple spreadsheet that has an image of each sign, it's location, what it says, and it's purpose. From there, you can decide if each sign should be discarded, moved, or updated.

Next Steps

Going forward, consider creating guidelines that will be used for signs. This includes a standard font and font size, color palette, and logo use. You might consider creating a template so that all of your signs stay consistent. Continue periodic, informal signage audits with the goal of minimizing clutter and maximizing efficiency. The resources below will help highlight some best practices.

Auditing the Library

Signage audits can be quite informal and don't require a large amount of work before getting started. The questions below will help evaluate each sign and allow the staff to determine if the sign should be discarded, updated, or kept.

Ask yourself the following questions, if the answer is 'yes,' consider discarding or updating the sign:

  • Is this sign faded?
  • Does this sign have visible tape?
  • Is this sign hand-written?
  • Was this sign put up as a reaction to one or several specific patron issues? 
  • Does this sign use punitive or passive aggressive language?
  • Is this sign negative/use "no" language?

If you answer 'no' to the following questions, consider discarding or updating the sign:

  • Does your sign have your library's logo and follow established library signage templates?
  • Will people notice if you remove this sign? (To do this, consider a one week test where you remove the sign. If patron behavior doesn't change and nobody asks about the sign, you can assume that the sign wasn't doing its job.

Going forward, consider creating guidelines that will be used for signs. This includes a standard font and font size, color palette, and logo use.

You might consider creating a template so that all of your signs stay consistent. Continue periodic, informal signage audits with the goal of minimizing clutter and maximizing efficiency. The resources on this page will help highlight some best practices.

Resources

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Many of these resources and programs are funded under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.