Nathaniel, they are so lucky to have a passionate, talented creative like you!
The town I live in (Chapel Hill, NC) is often compared with Ann Arbor. We, too, LOVE our library. I'm now the parent of a Librarian--my son--who used to stagger out of the library with as many books as a 10 year-old could possibly carry.
I hope your creativity continues to flourish--you are ruined in the best possible way!
I love hearing that about your son. It reminds me of my 11-year-old nephew and I think my son will be the same—his mom is a librarian, too and he think he owns the youth department 🙂
Thanks for sharing your experiences in the public arena. I'm lucky to in a profession which is relatively well paid for the neighborhood but aside from compensation your story totally mirrors my experience since joining the government in 2018.
One thing I really appreciate is that you start by acknowledging the funding structure. I have a similar anecdote—a few weeks ago, my DMV project won a design award and a buddy called to congratulate. I responded that he should call the DMV to thank them for opening up the purse strings...I was ready do dumb the design down to a simple box to make it fit my original budget!
Thank you, Justus! And thanks for sharing that anecdote.
I’m glad you appreciated the note about funding. It felt like it would have been disingenuous to talk about how great the library is without talking about what allows it to be great—especially when so many libraries lack proper finding!
Oh, wowsers! Graphic designers at libraries are librarians' right and left hands. We need you, and I hope you collaborate with all of them. They are very lucky to have you!
(I was a reference librarian, digital projects librarian at SFPL, and earlier in my career, an archivist at a sex education non-profit and a think tank!)
I had been waiting for this piece ever since you shared about it on Notes. That Summer Games poster screams fun and unknown things, plus the line 'The public library has ruined me. But that’s alright with me—I’m a library person' is wholly relatable. I prefer borrowing books to buying them because I am spoiled for choice at the Toronto Public Library.
Also, I landed here: https://aadl.org/catalog/browse/unusual and found out that you can borrow telescopes and home tools from the library?! Ann Arbor just entered the list of 'Places to Live in One Day' (house prices will be studiously ignored for now).
OMG that is FABULOUS! I am a librarian, actually, although I do not work in the field anymore. This is the kind of "dream library" we all imagine working for. What a tremendous community resource! They are lucky to have you, and you are lucky to work in such an amazing library!
My mother was a YA librarian when I was a teenager so the public library is in my bones at this point. I usually have about 40-50 titles checked out from my library here in Yucca Valley, CA. She taught me all about how much increased circulation helps libraries. So I try to do my part.
How cool! When you stop to think about it, but of course libraries need graphic design. It's just not often that people put two and two together. My job is the same way. No one realizes that someone has to come up with new tortilla chips or potato chips or whatever, but then they think, but of course...
Nathaniel, they are so lucky to have a passionate, talented creative like you!
The town I live in (Chapel Hill, NC) is often compared with Ann Arbor. We, too, LOVE our library. I'm now the parent of a Librarian--my son--who used to stagger out of the library with as many books as a 10 year-old could possibly carry.
I hope your creativity continues to flourish--you are ruined in the best possible way!
Oh, thank you Ann! ❤️
I love hearing that about your son. It reminds me of my 11-year-old nephew and I think my son will be the same—his mom is a librarian, too and he think he owns the youth department 🙂
Thanks for sharing your experiences in the public arena. I'm lucky to in a profession which is relatively well paid for the neighborhood but aside from compensation your story totally mirrors my experience since joining the government in 2018.
One thing I really appreciate is that you start by acknowledging the funding structure. I have a similar anecdote—a few weeks ago, my DMV project won a design award and a buddy called to congratulate. I responded that he should call the DMV to thank them for opening up the purse strings...I was ready do dumb the design down to a simple box to make it fit my original budget!
Thank you, Justus! And thanks for sharing that anecdote.
I’m glad you appreciated the note about funding. It felt like it would have been disingenuous to talk about how great the library is without talking about what allows it to be great—especially when so many libraries lack proper finding!
Oh, wowsers! Graphic designers at libraries are librarians' right and left hands. We need you, and I hope you collaborate with all of them. They are very lucky to have you!
(I was a reference librarian, digital projects librarian at SFPL, and earlier in my career, an archivist at a sex education non-profit and a think tank!)
We definitely collaborate, and often!
Graphics really bring patrons/customers to the library—hate to say/love to say—“I saw a flyer!”
And, “There was a big bus stop poster.”
What’s also cute is I bet patrons ask staff, “I wanna know if you have this book. It’s got a blue cover with a dinosaur 🦕 on it.”
All hail libraries. My grandmother indoctrinated me very early on—I've been a regular user since.
Sounds like an ideal job! Glad it's such a good fit.
One of this county’s best ideas, in my estimation!
I had been waiting for this piece ever since you shared about it on Notes. That Summer Games poster screams fun and unknown things, plus the line 'The public library has ruined me. But that’s alright with me—I’m a library person' is wholly relatable. I prefer borrowing books to buying them because I am spoiled for choice at the Toronto Public Library.
Also, I landed here: https://aadl.org/catalog/browse/unusual and found out that you can borrow telescopes and home tools from the library?! Ann Arbor just entered the list of 'Places to Live in One Day' (house prices will be studiously ignored for now).
This Summer Game poster is particularly detailed! It references a lot of Ann Arbor history since 2024 is the city’s bicentennial year.
And yeah, we have a great collection! Something I neglected to mention whilst talking about myself 😁
OMG that is FABULOUS! I am a librarian, actually, although I do not work in the field anymore. This is the kind of "dream library" we all imagine working for. What a tremendous community resource! They are lucky to have you, and you are lucky to work in such an amazing library!
Oh that's so cool! I do feel incredibly lucky.
Thank you for sharing. Very interesting to hear about what you do and that there could be places for designers to work at libraries. 🤩
Thanks Alicia! I do feel very lucky
Really interesting piece! Thanks for sharing about your job and the work you’ve done. And for being a champion of the value public libraries being.
I can see why they’ve kept you on for so many years. Your graphic design is excellent.
Thank you David 😭 that’s so kind of you to say. Library lovers unite!
My mother was a YA librarian when I was a teenager so the public library is in my bones at this point. I usually have about 40-50 titles checked out from my library here in Yucca Valley, CA. She taught me all about how much increased circulation helps libraries. So I try to do my part.
I love that! Thank you for sharing. My wife is also a librarian
How cool! When you stop to think about it, but of course libraries need graphic design. It's just not often that people put two and two together. My job is the same way. No one realizes that someone has to come up with new tortilla chips or potato chips or whatever, but then they think, but of course...
Yes! I love those moments when I go “this is somebody’s job” 😳 (both good and bad, haha)