“Libraries are not made; they grow.”

- Augustine Birrell

It’s no secret that books are a vital piece of Northwest culture. The King County Library System is the second busiest in the nation and the city of Seattle has been ranked as one of the most literate communities in the country.

After extensive research with thousands of patrons, the King County Library System discovered a need for improved physical wayfinding. KCLS asked Studio SC to develop a patron-focused wayfinding master plan for their 43 community libraries. The plan enables ease of orientation by optimizing branch layout, informational signage and display features.

The program has been installed in both the Redmond and Burien branches, with ongoing installations planned for the future. By optimizing branch layout with clearly defined circulation, key wayfinding graphic elements, integrating promotional and informational signage, and providing strategic display opportunities for the collection, the result is greater visibility and ease of orientation. The program has reduced the burden on librarians for basic orientation questions and increased opportunity for patrons to discover the full breadth of library materials and resources offered by KCLS.