GASPRO International Journal of Eminent Scholars

ABSTRACT

Signs play a role as directional or indicating information when following conditions are met: Signage provides basic information to library users, signage is a tool to discern various books, service points and facilities, delivering messages in signs should be simple and straight forward, signs shall be designed in consistent and symbolic ways, while express the intentions of the library, signs shall be changeable to the extension or modification of library building, library signage shall be harmonized with building structures and decorations, signage location, height, color, the contrast of colors and the use of Braille shall strictly observe the disability related laws. when signage systems are designed, the following functions and forms of signage should be considered, spatial cognition signage helps library users recognise their current locations and their destinations, such as reference room, children’s reading room or bookshelf (e.g. building floor plan), directional signage leads library users to particular service or destinations (e.g. arrows to certain point), identification signage indicates the identification of specific area (e.g. locations or service point like common room, lecture hall, information desk, donor recognition, and bookshelves of adult fictions or periodicals), operational signage shows facility instructions (e.g. copy machine instructions), regulation signage indicates restrictions, warnings, or necessary procedure to conduct certain action (e.g. non-smoking, no food or beverage are allowed sign), announcement signage contains necessary information for library users (e.g. program time table, opening of special program, services provided by the library and equipment failure). Basic library signage should be provided in academic libraries to aid navigation and way- finding. Providing text-based and graphics-based signage can assist students with differing needs in accessing information. Improving access to learning resources through the use of signs is an important general strategy for all libraries, but is most important at the academic library where students are still learning about the organizational scheme of the library.

KEYWORDS: Library Signage, Students’ Utilisation, Information Services, University Libraries