Key Takeaways:
- A strong library brand builds trust, communicates purpose and attracts new patrons.
- Simple exercises can help you define your library’s brand.
- Your website is your digital front door — make it inclusive, engaging and data-informed.
- Stacks empowers libraries to build a consistent, accessible brand experience — no design team required
Libraries are pillars of their communities and institutions. Much like a pillar, a strong brand is the foundation of your library’s presence that builds trust, communicates purpose and makes your library more appealing to new patrons. Your brand should reflect your mission, values and the unique services you offer. And while branding can feel daunting — especially without dedicated marketing personnel — we’re sharing practical steps and tools to make the process easier.
To evaluate your current library branding and determine what steps you need to take next, run through these three simple exercises:
Exercise 1: Get Inspired by Others
We all have our go-to brands. What’s your first stop when shopping for clothes? Will you always buy the same make of car? Where do you look for new cookware?
Pick two or three brands you admire, whether from everyday consumer goods or other libraries you look up to. Note what you like about their look, tone, user experience (both in person and online), as well as any areas you dislike. Reflect on how you can apply similar principles to your own branding.
Exercise 2: Define Your Brand Foundation
Ask yourself the following questions as you outline your library’s ideal:
- Visuals – logo, colors, typography, imagery
- Do you want your brand to be colorful and nostalgic, or sleek and refined?
- Do you prefer geometric or organic visuals?
- What will be your balance of literal vs. conceptual imagery?
- Voice – messaging, slogans
- Is your tone more warm and friendly, or authoritative and professional?
- Will your messaging be story-driven and emotional, or fact-based and informative?
- How would you sum up your library in three words?
- Values – mission statement, vision, community role
- What motivates you as a librarian, and how can you carry this to your library?
- What specific outcome, no matter how small, would be a “success” for your library?
- Which words best represent your library: access, equity, innovation, learning, curiosity, community, sustainability, empowerment, service, preservation, or integrity?
- Visibility – website, community presence, events
- Is your outreach more event-driven and interactive or resource-focused and self-guided?
- Does your library prioritize e-resources or in-person collections?
- Do you have a webpage you'd like more people to visit?
Discuss these questions with your staff members to gather multiple perspectives and voices involved. Then use your new brand foundation to build a shared brand guide that helps align staff and contributors on tone, colors, fonts and messaging.
Tip: Even minor updates can modernize your brand. When planning a visual update, choose accessible color palettes and update your logo for digital readability.
Exercise 3: Audit Your Brand Across All Channels
With your new foundation in mind, evaluate the following areas for consistency in voice, visuals and messaging, and identify opportunities for improvement or better alignment with your brand:
- Physical space – signage, furniture, lighting, staff attire, room layout, outdoor space.
- Digital space – website, mobile experience, authentication methods, social media feeds.
- Outreach materials – flyers, brochures, presentations, emails, newsletters.
While you may not be able to update everything at once, start by creating an action plan for changes that can be tackled immediately, in six months, in one year and beyond.
Begin Where Users Do: Your Website
It’s important to remember that in today’s hybrid world, digital interactions often precede physical ones. Your website is usually the first interaction users have with your library, serving as a virtual “front door.” Stacks, EBSCO’s library website platform, makes it easy for you or your staff to build and maintain a consistent brand and user experience that ties together your online and physical spaces.
Here are some tips for your library website:
Use Inclusive Design
Inclusive design is a methodology that ensures products and services are usable and accessible to as many people as possible, regardless of age, ability, cultural background or other characteristics.
When building your website:
- Choose high-contrast color schemes and readable fonts.
- Add alt text to all images and ensure content is properly tagged.
- Use responsive design, so webpages rescale to smaller screens without horizontal scrolling.
- Enable multilingual content and translations when available.
Tip: Stacks includes built-in features that support these accessibility considerations, making it easy for you to incorporate inclusive design into your website
Highlight Special Events
Library events are often a cornerstone of community connections. Make your library’s events visible and engaging by featuring them directly on your homepage.
Consider a banner or slider that includes:
- Key event details (where and when).
- An engaging image related to the event.
- A call to action with a direct link to register.
Tip: Stacks includes a native Events Management module that handles the creation and display of library events on a public calendar. You can also feature events in a carousel using built-in sliders!
Share Stories
Real stories are powerful tools for building connections and showcasing your library's impact on individuals and the community.
Consider featuring:
- Patron testimonials that highlight personal experiences and outcomes.
- Staff spotlights to celebrate the people behind your services.
- Community partnerships that demonstrate collaboration and outreach.
- Student success stories that show how your library supports academic growth.
Tip: Post a public call for survey responses to gather patron or student stories. A random prize drawing or other incentive always helps! You can easily collect survey data using Stacks’ Easy Forms feature.
Drive With Data
Track engagement across your digital platforms and ask yourself the following questions:
- Which website pages get the most traffic?
- Where do online and in-person visitors spend the most time?
- What social posts resonate most?
- Are users finding what they need?
Tip: Stacks integrates with tools like Google Analytics to help you make data-driven branding decisions based on user behavior on your website.
Your library’s brand is a living, evolving asset. With tools like Stacks, you don’t need a whole design team to create a professional, consistent, and engaging brand experience. You just need a clear vision and the right platform to bring it to life.
