Inaugurated last September, on the occasion of National Library Day, Biblis en Folie, the sign in the shape of a blue butterfly has since indicated the location of the Les Violettes de Courbevoie library. Soon, the city’s three other public reading establishments should also benefit.
« The installation of this sign seems particularly important to me, insofar as it allows a very wide public to very quickly identify the libraries», underlines Jean-Claude Hanol, director of libraries.
Active member of the board of directors of the Association of Directors of Municipal Libraries and Intermunicipal Groups of Cities of France (ADBGV), which implemented the sign project for libraries, he participated in it “with enthusiasm» and adopting the signage was practically obvious.
In his eyes, the blue butterfly is a simple and recognizable symbol, “which indicates a cultural place accessible free of charge, where one can enter without identity check, without requiring any legitimacy, level of study or prior knowledge. This can help attract people who are not always comfortable with libraries.»
Visibility and communication
Jean-Claude Hanol recognizes, however, that the brand must be accompanied by a broader system and other initiatives to place libraries in the municipal landscape. “This is perhaps less true in a small town, but the sign alone, in a large town like Courbevoie, is only visible in a certain proximity. »
However, even in this scenario, “it makes it possible to specify the content of a building, which perhaps does not suggest a library at first glance or which can house several services at the same time ».
For the moment, in addition to the inauguration, information about the installation of the sign is disseminated via the city’s communication channels. The adoption of signage by other establishments opens up the possibility of new media coverage, and greater (re)recognition by the public.
According to Malik Diallo, president of the ADBGV and director of municipal libraries and the Champs Libres library in Rennes, “different communities that are interested in the project and seek to implement it“. On the site dedicated to the operation, a listing of suppliers, instructions for installing the sign and a map of the establishments reported have appeared.
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In a constrained budgetary context, and knowing that no aid system is planned to support the installation, the association ensured a measured cost for the manufacture of the sign, with a ceiling of 1000 €. In Courbevoie, the bill for the design of a model equipped with lighting and its installation amounts to €1,987, an investment which is part of the Courbevoie Capitale du Mot operation, wanted and supported by the elected to culture Sandrine Peney.
In Courbevoie, the old but unclassified building welcomed the brand without difficulty after simulations carried out by the city architect. “According to the feedback I have had, the reception is very good, and we note that the sign does not stand out in space», rejoices for his part Jean-Claude Hanol.
Photography: The Les Violettes library, in Courbevoie (DR)
By Antoine Oury
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