Brand

Our goal is to make sure the library's content is easily recognizable and portrays the library as a trusted source where people can access clear and necessary information.

One library

For clarity, we publicly represent ourselves as one library.

In other words, the resources and services we provide are resources and services provided by the U-M Library. Any references to individual units and departments should be secondary.

By representing ourselves as "one library," we can build trust and recognition, help people understand the breadth and depth of our offerings, and make connections between services and resources that might otherwise get lost.

Writing about the library provides additional guidance around our identity, including the names and styles to use when referring to the library.

Focus on our audience

Our priority is empowering and supporting the people who use our services. When it comes to public-facing communication and interfaces, it's about them, not us.

Too “us” centric:

• Our faculty includes ...
• We are a world leader in ...
• The University of Michigan Library has curated ...

Audience focused:

• Advance your research with ...
• Get help planning your course ...
• Find out how you can access ... 
• Connect with us to ...

Do not focus attention on our organizational units and structures, or anything that requires a lot of contextual information about the library.

Consult our voice and tone guidelines to see the characteristics of our clear, welcoming, and helpful voice.