What's up with all these library slogan changes? Don't these libraries know there's a recession? How much does it cost to change the banner image on the website? What? Practically nothing? Oh, some employee does it for free?
This year, the New York Public Library unveiled, "Discover. Connect. Get Inspired," and now the Omaha Public Library has changed their slogan to "Open Your World."
From some of the comments on the NYPL site, the locals aren't happy with the facelift: "How am i supposed to discover, connect and get inspired by such a poor redesign!"
Our library changed it's slogan last year. All of our new flyers and pamphlets now say, "It's 5 O'clock, Get the Fuck Out."
Our previous slogan, "Alright, Nobody Move," was helpful for law enforcement, but seen as confusing to our patrons. It was kind of like naming your dog, "Stay."
And I know from our new branding that all this change isn't free. It took me hours to delete the old logo and add the new one to the 70-something public documents I update. And after a year, I think I only have about 40 or 50 left to fix.
It is funny though. We change almost nothing else, but we slap on this new coat of paint. For everyone who wants libraries to behave more like businesses, this is one of the best examples: "New Packaging. Same Old Product."
