Lesson 1: Getting Started
Included in this lesson:
- Select the topic or subject of your brochure.
- What should and should not be included on your brochure.
- Identify your audience.
- Choosing Fonts.
- Selecting a Color Scheme.
- Choosing Pictures.
- Assignment/Review
Due: Friday, October 23, 2015, 11:59 pm CST
Selecting a subject or topic for your brochure:
Think about what kind of brochure your library might need.
- Do you need a brochure to inform patrons of services available in your library?
- Do you need a brochure to inform stakeholders of your library stats and program attendance?
- Do you need a brochure to help recruit volunteers?
- Other ideas?
- Need some inspiration? Check out the library brochure repository.
What should be included in your brochure?
- Library Contact Information
- Library Hours
- Stats (if applicable)
- Library Logo (if available)
- Picture(s) of library (if applicable)
- Services (if applicable)
What should NOT be included?
- Library jargon, abbreviations, or acronyms.
- Do your patrons know what ILL means?
- Would your audience know what YA (Young Adult) means?
- The Word OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog). Most patrons don’t know what this means. Use
Additional tips:
- Keep it short and sweet.
- Use headings to subheadings to group ideas and help items stand out.
- Use all caps sparingly or not at all.
- Use a friendly tone and speak directly to the patron
- Keep your words simple
- Use bullets to help organize points and lists
- Keep your bullets short and to the point
Identify your audience:
It’s important to know who will see your brochure. This will help you know what kind of information to include.
- Stakeholders?
- All patrons?
- Teens?
- Parents?
- New Patrons?
Choosing Fonts:
The short video (about 4 minutes and 45 seconds) below gives some font tips. The video has an embedded quiz. You’ll be prompted for your name and email address at the start of the video.
Selecting a Color Scheme:
The short video (a little over 4 mins long) below gives some color scheme tips. The video has an embedded quiz. You’ll be prompted for your name and email address at the start of the video.
Choosing Pictures:
- It is best to use actual pictures of patrons and your library in your brochure and to stay away from stock images or clip art.
- Clip art can look less professional and clean than real photographs.
- If using pictures of patrons please be sure to get permission.
- If you need a patron permission form, examples can be found in the Summer Reading handbook or by contacting the Southwest Kansas Library System.
- If using someone else’s pictures, please make sure you have permission and give the photographer proper credit.
Review/Assignment:
Please post a comment below answering the following questions:
(Note: I have comment moderation turned on, so if your comments takes awhile to appear, don’t be alarmed. I will try to approve comments quickly.)
- What kind of brochure would you like to create?
- Who is your audience?
- What colors do you think you would like to use and why?
- Any questions you may have?
- Please respond to at least one other participant by answering a question, offering suggestions, etc.
14 comments
Skip to comment form
1. What kind of brochure would you like to create? Spring 2016 Youth Programs
2. Who is your audience? Youth and Parents
3. What colors do you think you would like to use and why? Blue and Green, because that is a possible color combination to be used in our new logo
Author
Amy,
I love the idea of highlighting youth programs in a brochure. I never really thought of using brochures in that way until I started organizing the examples for this training. One library I talked to mentioned that they love making brochures because they also double as bookmarks.
Had never thought about doubling as a bookmark but I like the idea of that too!
I want to make a brochure to inform the public of the services we provide. One that we can hand out to everyone. Perhaps at Co. fairs, or school book fairs, or any special events that are going on in our community.
Author
Sounds great Denise!
I plan to design a brochure for general information about the library.
The audience would be for new library patrons to inform them of the services and additional information about the library.
I think I will use a shade of blue and gray.
Author
Joyce,
I think that’s a great idea. There are several similar brochures in the repository that should give you lots of great ideas to get started.
Joyce–even though we both are thinking blue and greys for color, it will interesting to see how different, or maybe very simila,r in shades we choose!
Becky, it is interesting that our color choices are similar.
And, contrary to most of you, I am anti-blue for my brochures! Generally, I have nothing against blue, but we have so, so, so much of it around here that I just can’t do it anymore!
Isn’t it interesting how different our visions can be? I look forward to comparing and contrasting our final results!
I’d like to design a brochure that is an informational resource for the community at large–outlining our library services, our hours of operation, and all our contact information. I’d like to use a logo that incorporates our vision statement and could be used on everything we publish. I think a soft marine blue, silver grey, and just a dash of deep red for accent would work for colors in both the logo and the brochure. The silver grey and blue reflect a sense of calmness and are used in the interior of the library. The deep red adds a bit of energy and warmth.
Author
Rebecca,
I can’t wait to see how all of your colors go together! I figured with your art background you would have lots of great ideas for color.
Rebecca,
I am looking forward to seeing your brochure and use of color. I think the general library services brochure is a great resource!
I would like to streamline our overall library services brochure. The intended audience is primarily new patrons, but would also include existing patrons who would like to get the most out of their library experience. I would like to use an eye-catching, bold color scheme to reflect the non-muted environment of ourlibrary. I will shy away from blue-heavy color schemes, mainly because we use so much blue and gray in our library that everything seems to be blending together.