With another budget cycle approaching, board members and advocates were gearing up to meet with stakeholders about the library’s value. With so much information available about the library’s programs and services, painting a brief yet impactful picture of the library was often a challenge. Elected officials and civic leaders receive reams of data and piles of reports—how could we ensure the library’s message stayed top of mind (and on top of the pile)? The piece would need to be designed to stand out among the many other information pieces left behind, so it couldn’t be just another fact sheet or briefing paper. What would be small enough to fit in a pocket yet contain enough data to show the library’s value?

First we worked on the functional design. We liked the format of a small three-fold piece, but it had limited space. We needed the room a fact sheet provides but the convenience of a pocket piece in an easy to print size—an 8.5 x 11” folded tri-fold. Then we determined the creative direction. We wanted to incorporate the compelling and creative design and color palette from our Annual Report but with infographics instead of text. Finally, we focused on the statistics. We got creative and broke them down to show the library’s value by the minute, numbers and dollar.

Response from library leadership and board members was very positive, saying it’s a softer sell with “fun facts” rather than stark statistics. Our Library Director took copies to Library Day at the Legislature and received many positive comments about both the design and content. The Florida Library Association asked that we share it with members “to encourage more libraries to tell their stories and help them do it better.” Our Foundation wants to use them with prospective donors and branch managers want copies for outreach and speaking engagements. One lesson learned was to find the right paper stock—keep in mind the piece will be folded and unfolded several times, and could get a bit worn if it’s carried around in a purse or briefcase.