In order to properly represent our division to our various clients and patrons, we have been refreshing our branding over the past 18 months to reflect our “Library & Information Technology Services” (LITS) identity. Branding or graphic identity can take many forms, ranging from exterior building signage, uniforms, vehicle signage, business cards, departmental letterhead, brochures, webpages, applications, and division or departmental headings in PeopleSoft records. As we continue to work to update our branding in all of these areas, we would like each of you to ensure we are using the appropriate branding in any formats that you control.
One form of branding that we use daily is the signature on our email. Many of us may have set up our email signatures some time ago and have simply forgotten to update or maintain them to reflect the LITS division name. The email signature that we use for communications directed to anyone outside of our division should be “Library & Information Technology Services” or “LITS.” We should NOT be using “R-WIT”, “UTS”, “OIT”, “University Libraries” or other out-of-date divisional names.
If you are not in a public-facing role, the use of “Library & Information Technology Services” should suffice. If you do work directly with non-Library or non-IT customers, then the use of your team name is appropriate (“LITS: Faculty Services” or “LITS: Content”).
One way of keeping your email signature up-to-date is to simply use your Emory Online Directory “Key” as a link in your signature. This is the data/link that appears on the last line of your Online Directory listing ( http://directory.service.emory.edu/ ). An example can be seen in Norman Hulme‘s signature below. By using this link, your phone number, office location and other information will always be up-to-date.
Example:
Norman D. Hulme
Sr. Multimedia Developer
Emory University Library & Information Technology Services
Directory Information
Although using a LITS graphic logo is acceptable (an official email signature version is available to the right), note that the logo graphic is actually an email attachment. Every email you send will look like it contains an attached file. Over time, these redundant logo files will pile up in your recipients’ folders. One preferred approach is to only use a graphic logo signature for recipients outside of Emory.
Proper branding is a collective effort. Do your part today by updating your email signature.
This message is brought to you by the LITS Leadership Team: (Rich Mendola, Dee Cantrell, John Connerat, Yolanda Cooper, John Ellis, Wayne Morse, Marc Overcash, Brad Sanford, and Steve Wheat).
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