4 Thoughts on “Signage and Fear: How can we develop the courage to not hide behind signs?”

• References
  https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:c1f6cd47-2339-499e-b8ab-ddecb20c3d94

  A few examples of our new signs
  https://elcamino-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/cjenkin_elcamino_edu/EkhTI-RFkUpNumMF6vK8SWEB2DIfOhoRRxlgOZLXY2rBQw?e=V4oigb

  Our documentation chart
  https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:26220e03-ca0a-4cee-90c8-13d2d6431297

• When we started this project almost two years ago, our goal was removing barriers to library use for all of our students. At El Camino College, an overwhelming majority of our students identify as either PoC, First-Generation, or both. Most of our students have faced barriers to library use at some point in their lives. For us, completing a signage audit was a way to eliminate punitive language in our space as well as make sure our signs don’t assume prior knowledge of library usage. Our signs are not up yet, due to COVID interruptions, but we are looking forward to installing our new signs and continuing the work of creating student-centered spaces.

• Congratulations to you and your colleagues on taking these positive, first steps! A couple of things I wonder about:

  1. Just how many signs does the library have?
  2. Have the harshly worded signs been effective in curbing undesired behavior(s)?

  Throughout my professional life I have found that signs are largely invisible to people, and I think the premise of your poster presentation (i.e. librarians “hiding” behind signage) is very apt. Well done!

• Hi Camila,
  When you did the initial audit, for the paper “do not” type signs did you take them down? If so, did you have any push back from the people in the library that created or posted the signs, or even reappearance of the sings?

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