NorthNet Library System Logo Design
a logo and stationery project by phector

Creative brief

LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT US:

NorthNet Library System is a new consortium of northern California independent city, county, academic and special libraries that have joined to form a cooperative network. NLS covers 57,838 square miles and encompasses the northern part of the state from the Pacific Coast to the Nevada border and the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento area to the Oregon border. 48% of California’s 58 counties are included in it. The members of the three regional systems sought this merger to provide better services to the communities they serve by:
 increasing resource sharing;
 improving delivery service ;
 realizing economies of scale ;
 decreasing administration costs; and
 bringing equity of services to members.

The member libraries of NLS vary widely from small, rural isolated libraries to large, urban libraries. 64% of the counties are classified as frontier or rural and have no incorporated areas with more than 50,000 persons. The other 36% includes several large library systems with numerous branches.

Our geography includes ocean, mountains, the large central Sacramento Valley, and numerous rivers. There many micro climates in our large area including redwood forests, pine forests, vineyards, rolling golden hills, valley oak trees, orchards, bare granite peaks, and deep canyons.

We connect the member libraries and allow their communities to share resources like books, movies, audio books and music through our delivery system.
Our Values
NLS:
• Is nimble and responsive
• Benefits all the people we serve
• Is equitable
• Works for all members; large and small, rural and urban, special, academic and school
• Is affordable
• Is a leader
• Is forward-thinking
• Is seamless in the provision of services
• Enables us to do things we cannot do on our own
• Keeps members informed and solicits their opinions -- has a staff and a governance structure with a strong communication element that works to keep all members "in the loop."
• Benefits our staff through networking and communities of interest
• Creates greater visibility for us; enables us to market ourselves
• Gives us a stronger voice


HERE IS WHAT WE NEED:

Our logo will be used on a webpage, stationary, and business cards. There will also be occasional uses of the logo on items such as book mailing pouches/bags.

OUR TARGET AUDIENCE IS:

Our member libraries which includes 41 public libraries, 15 academic libraries and 6 medical or special libraries. The public is not aware of NLS because they gain access to our services through their local community library be it a public library, county law library, hospital library or college library. We are the gateway to books and information outside their local library.

WE LIKE THESE DESIGNS:

Each of the three regional systems has a logo. The most recently updated logo has a modern clean look and feel. http://www.mvls.org/ . The star design in the logo for the California State Library is a building design element within the state library. We don’t have a building but we like the clean crisp look. We like the idea of a tag line as shown in this logo http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e5/G...

WE ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE (or we don't want to see) THIS IN OUR DESIGN:

Our name NorthNet Library System and tag line: Connecting Northern California Libraries

Things we don’t like or don't need for this project or other things to avoid using, doing, seeing, etc.
Designs that use more than three colors.