Tee Shirts and libraries
Lets say you’re in a library. A modern library. You can see an information point, but it doesn’t look there’s anyone there. The library is really busy and you need some help. Where are the staff? Can’t see them? Mmmmm.. Okay, here’s a simple idea. Why not give staff a uniform? Ok, maybe not a uniform, but how about brightly coloured T-shirts, perhaps, different coloured T-shirts for different specialisms. How about a bright blue T-shirt for the concierge, red T-shirts for ICT assistants and green for general library staff? Hell, why not promote some of the library services on the back of the shirts.. Why not have the website address and the library staff members library blog address on the back? It could help promote the library brand..
Librarians are professionals and should dress the part. I wear a jacket and tie every day. This is what should distinguish librarians from patrons, who generally wear T-Shirts, and the homeless who are wearing rags.
Librarians also do not need to market the library that heavily to people already within the building. We need to market to the people, Who… Don’t… Come… In! So making the staff look like walking billboards isn’t the answer. In fact, it would only add to the already cluttered environment of library signs. The solution for many people is to display another sign to promote something, however, there are already so many signs that nobody even looks at them anymore, let alone actually read them. It’s like the ubiquitous sound of car alarms going off… It’s just more noise for the human brain to filter, then ignore.
Woeful
January 23, 2008 at 1:13 pm
This is an interesting point. Perhaps clearing some of the signage would be a good idea. I wonder how many people in a library are aware of the extra facilities a library offers? Maybe I’ll post some more on this topic.
library2020
January 23, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Cool! Keep posting ideas, we need waves of ideas… I think too many people in the profession just keep coasting through without rocking the boat. New ways of looking at things are going to help the profession thrive for years to come.
Woeful
January 24, 2008 at 2:21 am