Plainfield Public Library Refreshes Brand

Plainfield IL

06 June, 2022

10:51 AM

Description

The Plainfield Public Library launched a rebrand today to coincide with the kick off of the Summer Reading Program, which runs June 6 to July 30. "This rebranding project is more than just a new logo," said Lisa Pappas, Library Director. "We are rebranding ourselves with a more inclusive name in hopes that residents outside of the Village of Plainfield feel more welcome to explore and engage with all that their library has to offer." The Plainfield Public Library District's new name is Plainfield Area Public Library. The Library District has grown to serve more than 75,000 residents in a 40 square mile area that includes parts of Joliet, Romeoville, Bolingbrook, Wheatland Township and Kendall county, in addition to the Village of Plainfield. In covering such a large area more than 40% of the Library District residents reside outside the Village of Plainfield. Along with the new name comes a sleek new logo that is intentionally focused solely on the name rather than including an identifying landmark or symbol. Because the District covers pieces of several communities, choosing a singular landmark or symbol would have gone against the goal of highlighting the Library as an inclusive space for a broad community. The Library's intention with the new branding effort is to focus on the new name, therefore a typographical logo was chosen. The new acronym, PAPL, is presented in a bold typographic badge. The letters are enclosed and separated, drawing attention to the place (Plainfield Area) and the function (Public Library). The new branding is the product of a collaboration between a committee of staff from various departments and Library Market, a small strategic design agency exclusively committed to providing creative and cost-effective branding solutions for libraries and their communities. The new brand and name developed out of the Library's 2020-2024 strategic plan. In 2021, the Library conducted a community survey to gather feedback on services and assess community understanding of the District. "It was clear when reviewing the survey results that there is confusion about the Library District's boundaries and which communities are served," said Library Board President Carl F. Gilmore. "Our new branding addresses two of our strategic goals--increasing awareness of the Library and all its offerings and reducing barriers to service. "