Digital Signage for Libraries — From Public Branches to Academic Libraries

Libraries in the Digital Age

Libraries have reinvented themselves as community hubs, learning centres, and cultural spaces. Modern public libraries offer far more than books: children’s storytime sessions, digital literacy workshops, community meeting rooms, job search support, language learning resources, and local history archives.

Digital signage helps libraries communicate this breadth of services to visitors who may only know the library from their childhood experience.

Public Library Screens

Events and activities board:

This week’s events (author readings, rhyme time, craft workshops, computer skills sessions)
Booking information for events that require registration
School holiday programmes
Special collections and exhibitions

New arrivals:

New fiction and non-fiction titles this week
Recently returned popular titles now available
New audiobooks and ebooks available
DVD and game returns

Community notice board:

Local community events and activities
Volunteering opportunities in the area
Local authority information and consultations
Job centre and employment support services

Academic Library Screens

University and college libraries have different communication needs:

Study space availability:

Number of study seats available by area (quiet study, group study, computer stations)
Booking status for group study rooms
Availability updating in real time

Library services:

One-to-one research support appointment booking
Citation and referencing workshops schedule
Database access and training (new databases added, outages)
Interlibrary loan service

Academic calendar:

Assessment submission deadlines
Extended opening hours during exam periods
Library closures and reduced hours periods

Large libraries — particularly academic libraries and central public libraries — benefit from wayfinding screens:

Subject area floor plan (fiction, children’s, local history, reference on specific floors)
Catalogue search terminal locations
Toilet and accessibility facilities
Staff help desk location
Self-service checkout and return machines

Digital Literacy and Self-Service Guidance

Libraries increasingly support digital inclusion. Screens can demonstrate self-service tools:

How to use the self-service checkout machine (step-by-step)
How to access the digital catalogue
How to use the reservation system
eBook borrowing — how to borrow on a Kindle or tablet
How to access online resources from home with your library card

Children’s Area Screens

The children’s section benefits from age-appropriate screen content:

Upcoming Rhyme Time, Story Time, and craft sessions
Reading challenge progress display (Summer Reading Challenge)
Book recommendations by age group
Short animated content (kept short and calm — the library is not a cinema)

Health and Wellbeing Information

Libraries are trusted community spaces. Screens displaying health and wellbeing information reach community members who may not engage with the NHS directly:

NHS health campaign content (flu vaccination, cancer screening, mental health)
Local health services and where to access them
Mental health support resources
Social prescribing information

Local History and Cultural Content

Libraries are custodians of local history. Screens can share this heritage:

Archive photography from the local area
Historical facts about the town or city
Upcoming local history events and exhibitions
Digital archive access information

Quiet and Study Spaces

Screens in study areas should be ambient — supporting the environment rather than demanding attention:

Current room occupancy and noise level guidance
Opening hours
Very quiet transitions with minimal text
No promotional content

Accessibility

Library screens must comply with accessibility requirements:

WCAG 2.1 AA colour contrast minimum
Sufficient font size for public reading distance
Alternative text equivalents for screen-reader accessible kiosks
BSL interpretation for key messages where appropriate

Implementation for Public Sector Libraries

Budget: Public library budgets are constrained. The Alliance’s pricing is competitive for public sector organisations, with multi-site discounts for library service networks.

Content governance: Public library screens typically require content to go through a brief approval process before publishing. The Alliance’s approval workflow allows a central communications manager to review content submitted by branch staff before it goes live.

Digital inclusion consideration: Ensure screen content doesn’t replace other communication methods entirely — some library visitors are specifically there because they lack digital access, and they deserve the same quality of communication as everyone else.