Look no further than the library for the next, and worst, $1 million idea
Oct 25, 2015, 3:34 PM | Updated: Oct 26, 2015, 5:55 am
Looking for a simple $1 million idea? Look no further than the Seattle Public Library.
The SPL is in the midst of a rebranding campaign that is believed will cost more than $1 million to implement. One of the primary elements is a name change: from The Seattle Public Library to Seattle Public Libraries.
Shakespearian? Not so much.
The Seattle Weekly published an email interview with Marcellus Turner, the city’s chief librarian, and brainchild for the rebranding campaign, who wrote that the potential changes to the name, logo and brand statement provide potentially “significant” benefits.
“Rebranding is one element of a comprehensive effort that helps us better serve our vastly diverse city,” he wrote to The Weekly. “We also are focused on providing a robust collection and a high level of customer service with our knowledgeable and helpful staff.”
The Seattle Public Library Foundation paid global firm Hornall Anderson $365,000 for their design and branding expertise. A Seattle firm called Marketeering Group has since offered to rebrand the library for free.
The library asked for public input on the branding proposal, with 70 percent of the more than 14,000 respondents saying the name change — removing “the” and replacing “y” with “ies” — does not move the library forward.
The Seattle Board of Trustees will decide Wednesday whether to move forward and implement the name change, which The Seattle Times reported could cost another $570,000 for the years 2016-2017. The Board could accept the whole rebranding proposal, parts of it or reject it all.
From KIRO Radio’s Jason Rantz’, perspective, the only possible reason for why Turner came up with the harebrained idea was that nobody was willing to tell him it was a bad idea.
“There is no real reason to rebrand the Seattle Public Library,” Rantz said. “He’s doing it just to say ‘I did something.'”
Rantz also took issue with the notion that rebranding helps better serve the city, and that mentioning diversity is a misnomer.
“What does that tell you about the Seattle Public Libraries?” Rantz asked. “That there are more than one library? I knew that. I am assuming that there are more than one library in every single city that has a system of libraries.”
As critical as he is on the idea, Rantz might be even more bitter about his choice in profession.
“I’m in the wrong business,” he said. “I could totally scam people and tell (them) this is a good idea.”
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Tune in to Seattle Red AM 770 weekdays at 3-7pm to The Jason Rantz Show.
