The German experience: a case study in library promotion

During recent years perhaps the most apparent contributions to library public relations in the Federal Republic of Germany were some approaches towards a corporate visual identity for a public library system or—more ambitiously—all public libraries in the country. A series of colour slides illustrated the graphic conceptions developed for and consequently applied by the city libraries of Cologne and Wuppertal as well as a more recent project undertaken by the German Library Institute and financed by a Federal Government grant. The slides also indicated the wide range of materials to be considered. In an introductory section it is stressed that any graphic contributions should be seen in context with other single aspects of Library PR and must also be based on an integrated PR policy in line with a library's goals and objectives and the image desired.