Library Signage and Wayfinding Design: Communicating Effectively with Your Users

Anyone who has attempted to navigate an unfamiliar building with inadequate or nonexistent signage understands how frustrating that can be. Polger (coordinator of library outreach, Coll. of Staten Island, City Univ. of New York) discusses how librarians can ensure that signs get the job done. An overview of major theories in signage and wayfinding research provides a helpful introduction to why good signage is a complex undertaking. Polger explains the important preparatory steps for updating signage—conducting user-focused research and auditing existing signage. The chapter on auditing includes case studies and before/after examples. Polger also devotes two chapters to the design process, one of which is focused on ensuring that signage is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. These chapters offer guidelines for best practices in designing signs and examples of library signage policies. The author also includes a chapter detailing the many choices available for digital signage.