April and I make no secret of the fact that we are always on the hunt for design inspiration. Whether it be an interesting magazine ad, quirky product packaging, or sweet wrapping paper, no web or print graphic element escapes our notice. It’s no surprise then, that Pinterest is a never-ending blackhole for us. As a source of font, color, and style inspiration it’s unparalleled, and also a dangerous way to spend several hours in pursuit of the right idea for our next button/flyer/poster/display/etc.
Some of my least favorite teaching moments are those focused on mechanics: Click here; scroll there; point at this; type on that space. Jenica Ibarra, Reference & Instruction Librarian at St. Petersburg College-Clearwater Campus uses Canva to get around the mechanical aspects of library instruction to focus on more substantive teaching:
If your library’s reference collection is anything like ours, it’s likely:
- underused
- overlooked
- full of fantastic info that makes librarians drool
My fantastic colleague, Amanda VerMeulen, recently created a series of shelf signs to try to draw attention to our in-need-of-more-than-a-little-love reference collection.
Take a break from your Friday procrastiworking to join me as I lament the loss of my entire custom font library!
Selling adult reading programs can be a challenge. The demands of family, work, and day-to-day life can easily overpower leisure time that might be spent on reading, and finding the right marketing message to reach this busy audience can be tricky. Earlier this month we received a beautiful and thoughtful design submission from Stephanie Huff, Marketing & Communications Manager at the Wichita Public Library. Her poster and brochure designs highlight this year’s theme for WPL’s Adult Winter Reading Program, “Tour de Wichita: a reading journey,” which incorporates city sites and attractions. It’s a stellar example of community outreach and attractive design.
Happy New Year, everyone! 2015 has been a year of transition for April and I here at Librarian Design Share. Our jobs and responsibilities may have changed a bit in the last year, but our love of design continues, and so does Librarian Design Share. We can’t wait to see what amazing posters, displays, web designs, and other visually stunning materials you’ve been creating for your library! Over the next few months we’ll have new posts, new resources and recommendations, and a few surprises, too. We can’t wait to see where this new year takes us, and hope that your own journey is a happy one.
–Veronica
Featured image created by me, using Canva and my husband’s Lego photography (because he’s generous like that).
There are so many different ways in which libraries offer reference and research assistance, but it can often be a challenge to make sure that the people in our communities know about them all. Alex Ferguson, Reference Assistant at the Texas Tech Law Library created an all-in-one advertisement for all of the library’s reference help services.
Today’s post is a throwback to Banned Books Week, the only holiday (celebration? event?) librarians seem to love as much as Halloween. Leigh-Ann Thornhill, Adjunct Librarian at the Los Banos Campus Library at Merced College, put together a fun display and contest to celebrate BBW. Here’s Leigh-Ann discussing her design:
Librarian Design Share 