To celebrate what will surely be a landmark year, the St. Albert Public Library is unveiling a new brand with a new visual identity to the public Saturday morning. That means say goodbye to the diamond with a circle on top and a downward-pointing chevron on the bottom. Library director Peter Bailey has a good nickname for it that is almost as oblique as the image itself.
“Staff are very proud of where they work and the old logo didn’t represent what the library is. The ‘dude with a book’ I call it,” said Bailey, referring to that oddly geometric, monochromatic abstracted figure that has been its logo for nearly 40 years.
Replacing that is a new, multicoloured logo that should look slightly more familiar. It’s a version of the map of St. Albert showing all of the neighbourhoods. It’s the grand institution’s way of saying that it’s all about building community and bringing people together.
He noted how the Edmonton Public Library’s recent rebranding effort really opened a lot of people’s eyes to the importance of such efforts. It can dramatically affect how people see your organization and think about what it does.
To help that along, the library is also switching out its slogan.
“Since 2010, we've had our slogan ‘Cultivating Community,’ trying to get across that the library is about more than books. We’re about community. We’re about people, but our branding didn’t represent where we were.”
The outline of the city proper also bears the distinct resemblance to an arrow moving right into the future.
Bailey added the library’s strategic plan has focused on barrier-free access since 2016 after public comments about fee-free memberships and how tough it was for some to actually get to the main branch in St. Albert Place. Along with all of that has also come a new motto: “Here for you. Here for all.”
The new branding comes in advance of the opening of its new storefront location, anticipated to occur later this year. The logo’s bold purple/green/blue/yellow colours will feature prominently there and will encompass all facets of the library – such as the Community Outreach Van, free library cards, and book bags – as a way of better demonstrating the full impact of the library throughout the city.
“There is tremendous demand for library services, and using a consistent and recognizable set of visuals in our messaging will help members of the community to easily spot new library services, programs and events that are important to them,” he stated.
Everybody can get their first look at the future during a ribbon-cutting celebration Saturday morning at 8:45 a.m. Along with the free cake and beverages, there will be fun activities for children including a St. Patrick’s Day themed scavenger hunt and games, during which library patrons can have the chance to win new library-themed prizes.
