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A treasured local library set in the center of one of the most remarkable regions in America. A beloved local figure with a literary resume still impressive 200 years later. And a community once divided over the library’s name.

It’s hard to believe, but that was the challenge facing this community: what to call a regional library serving eight munici-palities. Two names clashed. The Bayard Taylor Memorial Library for 120 years. Then the Kennett Public Library for the past year. Some wanted the old name back. Others pressed for a newer name. And many folks got caught in the middle.

This report presents a fresh new approach about the name and how to build a brand that brings the past, the present and the future together... along with the hope of a beautiful new library everyone can enjoy.

We invite you to read this report and see what you think.

Building a New Library Brand for Kennett

By Carl Francis

CEO, EnvisianStrategic

Kennett Libraryat Bayard Taylor Commons

Begin your journey here

Summary Report

Findings and recommendations for Bayard Taylor Memorial Library / Kennett Public Library

Spring, 2016

Bringing togetherour past,

our presentand our future.

©2016 Envisian Inc. All Rights Reserved. | 2

The Challenges Before Us From Tom Swett, President of the Library

In January, I was asked to return to the Library as President to address concerns over the name of the library, its future location and the composition of the Board of Directors, among other issues. Since then, there have been many positive developments.

We now have 12 excellent Board members representing the eight municipal-ities served by the library. They are working together to address all the challen-ges the library faces. Our Board meetings are open to the public. Many of us have been regularly meeting with people from all sectors of our community to gather their views and suggestions about how best to proceed and to keep them up to date.

I’d like to review some of what I’ve learned from my conversations and from some research we’ve done.

First, the Bayard Taylor Memorial Library name, given to us 120 years ago. It was quite fashionable then. Since 1896, according to our recent re-search, the BTML name has had its critics and its devotees. Nonetheless, many of us have very fond memories of growing up in the Bayard Taylor library.

What you may not have noticed is that with the exception of Bayard’s name on the building, Bayard has been absent from the library for decades. To me, that’s a shame. His legacy, and our entire heritage, has a lot to offer us.

Second, the Kennett Public Library name. Over those same 120 years, our library service region has grown dramatically. Many have told me the name of the library is long overdue for an update – to make the location clear and the name simpler for everyone to understand, say and remember.

That said, last year’s re-naming process was inadequate. While there were good intentions, many people actually had stronger feelings about the lack of communication than about the change itself. This was a surprise.

It became obvious we needed some outside help to create a professional and effective process that would quickly help us develop the best possible name, and perhaps more.

I called Carl Francis of EnvisianStrategic, an expert in branding and naming (and someone I have worked with multiple times and who has been success-ful in helping many leading Chester County and Kennett area organizations with their brands). We spoke many times. On February 4th, the Board asked him many good questions and unanimously approved engaging Carl.

Chadds Ford Live

Continued...


Since then, our discussions with Carl have surprised me. Here are just two. Carl asked us, So where is Bayard? His question sparked a discussion of how Bayard Taylor has been forgotten. Second, Carl suggested that the time for surveys has past. The community had already given a huge amount of input and did not produce any viable new approaches, just more polarization. Another way was needed.

Carl recommended a cost-effective and proven process to develop a long-term brand strategy. One of the 17 steps in that process was to assess exactly what people had said. In another step, Carl assembled and ranked dozens of additional name options. We are now about half-way through the entire process.

Our entire Board and a special Board team worked closely to support Carl’s efforts, including holding two separate Saturday work sessions to review each part and provide feedback and direction.

The report and recommendations that emerged have been surprising, practical and convincing. One major recommendation is to bring Bayard back to life – along with our entire 400+ years of recorded local history. Wonderful!

On April 12, we held three separate sessions with over 50 local leaders to ask them to advise us if our new brand plan was on the right track. Feedback was over 95% positive. The press covered the meetings very well.

Now it’s time to share our plan with you. That’s why we prepared this Summary and scheduled two more free public sessions for Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at 3:00 and 6:00 pm at the Kennett Township Building.

You are invited to see a one-hour update about our brand and naming process – including how we have incorporated many of the ideas suggested by the community – plus time for questions and comments.

You can sign up online (just click the session you want at left, 3:00 or 6:00pm), via the library website, at the library circulation desk, or by email. Please invite anyone you think will be interested. I hope to see you there!

Thomas C. Swett, President

HOW TO CONTACT ME

Thomas C. Swett President Kennett Public Library 216 E. State Street, PO Box 730 Kennett Square, PA 19348

Email: [email protected]

HOW TO SIGN UP FOR THE PUBLIC SESSIONS TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 at 3:00 and 6:00 pm Kennett Township Building Lower-level Public Meeting Room 801 Burrows Run Road Chadds Ford, PA 19317

Sign up online:

3:00 Session

6:00 Session

Library Website:

KennettPublicLibrary.org

At the Library: Circulation Desk


mailto:[email protected]

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/library-name-change-process-review-tickets-24749461305


http://KennettPublicLibrary.org



n You have enough input already. MYTH: The answer is out there waiting to be found and Survey Monkey will find it! REALITY: Most surveys yield opinions based on what people already know – not what could be. Surveys rarely produce great ideas or answers, but rather insights and opinions. You already have hundreds of opinions. Let’s look at those first before gather-ing hundreds more opinions from the same people.

n Examine carefully what was said first. Understand what people actually said and its meaning. Look for the feelings. Read between the lines. What are they right about… and wrong about?

What we found was that many were polarized around two options – old and new — and neither option is optimal. It was clear to us that the best answers had not yet been found, but there were many clues.

n The best answers come from work. The entire community deserves having someone do the homework. What are best practices and trends in library naming now? What are the patterns that have worked and which haven’t? What other name options are there? Of those options, which is the best one for us, and why?

n The Library needs more than a name. While a name is central, it is not enough by itself. This Library needs more than a name. You need a brand.

n Responsibility for change is the Board’s. As the Library’s leaders, it is your responsibility to determine the need for a change, process, best options, timetable and to make sound decisions.The opinions of library users, funders, and the community are very important and must be considered care-fully. But they are not binding, they are advisory. BOTTOM LINE: The decisions are the responsibility of Leadership.

n We need to do our homework thoroughly, and then ask area leaders and the public for their feedback. Once we have thoroughly done our research, developmental work, and refined our plan, the next step should be to ask community leaders to review our recommendations to make sure we are on track. If they are supportive, next we should share our plans with the entire community. A good plan brings people together and builds support, will help begin to reunite the community and provides a strong foun-dation for building a wonderful new library that everyone can enjoy.

n Don’t expect total agreement. Agreement takes time. People agree differently. Some quickly. Some slowly. Some never. Some understand why change is unavoidable. Some despise any change. Elected officials know that sometimes you have to make decisions people won’t like. It’s part of the job.

Starting Recommend- ations to the Board of Trustees By Carl Francis February, 2016


ALMOST TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO, the first library in Kennett was about to open — started by Bayard Taylor’s mother five years before he was born. Here is a quick timeline of libraries organized in town and their names. We found it very interesting.

1820 – First known library in Kennett Square organized by Rebecca Way Taylor (Bayard’s Mother). Library Company was a term likely used because of the formation of The Library Company of Philadelphia in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin.

Name: The Kennett Square Library Company

1825 – Bayard Taylor born. His mother taught Bayard to read by the age of four and he was writing poems by the age of seven. His poems would later help fund his journeys. Thirty-three years later, there is an important development:

1853 – Meeting to organize new library – ends in dispute over location; two libraries were organized.

Name 1: The Kennett Square Library

Name 2: The Union Library Company

1878 – Bayard Taylor dies (age 53)

1883 – One library is established; two names are merged.

Name: Kennett Square Union Library Company

1896 – Bayard Taylor Memorial Library Company established. (120 years ago) Company was later dropped from the name, likely for being outdated.

Five names in 76 years. These five library names provide the historic roots for the new library name we will be recommending to the Library Board.

The Library’s early years: A few bits of history; a few clues to the future

Five Library Names in 76 Years


n 1. Assessment | Discovery | Information Gathering | Briefings | Discussions

n 2. Research | Read Everything | Analyze | Discuss Findings | Develop Criteria for Brand/Name | Research Best Practices

n 3. Analysis of Previous Options | Begin to Develop Additional Options | Evaluate Options Using Criteria for New Name

n 4. Discuss | Refine | Narrow Options

n 5. Assemble Recommendations

_________________________________________

n 6. 1st Round Presentation to Board | Test Recommendations |

Feedback | Direction from Board

n 7. Revisions | Additional Research

n 8. 2nd Round Presentation to Board | Feedback

_________________________________________

n 9A. Process Updates and Information Sessions for Community Leaders, Funders, Participants — April 12

o 9B. Process Updates and Information Sessions for Public — May 3 _________________________________________

o 10. Board Review | Feedback from Update Attendees | Vote by Board

o 11. Finalize Revisions + Recommendations _________________________________________

o 12. Present Phase I Recommendations to Board for Ratification — May meeting

o 13. Announcement of Board’s decision via press and social media

o 14. Begin Brand Design Stage; Develop Phases

o 15. Design Reviews by Board and Process Update Attendees

o 16. Announcement/Introduction of Brand Design

o 17. Phase 1 Integration of Brand into Library, existing building

OUR 17-STEP BRAND PROCESS Began March, 2016

We built this rapid-start process because a great deal of information on local community sentiment and infor-mation on library naming practices was already available. In addition, the Board advised us that urgency was badly needed.

n Completed as of 4/20/16

o Not yet completed as of 4/20/16


Realities The Library Is Facing Right Now March, 2016

EVERY CHALLENGE HAS A SET OF REALITIES AROUND IT — SOME GOOD, SOME BAD. Here are several of the realities I see facing the Library and the community:

n Countless people have a deep personal relationship with this Library. How do you capture all their experiences, memories and feel-ings in a name? It’s impossible — and that’s not the job of the name. The name’s most important job is to identify the library and attract people to visit again and again. The name should be public-friendly — short, easily under-stood, easy to say and memorable for people of all ages and backgrounds.

n Our history is important to us. This area’s history is not only incred-ible and unique, it is important to many people, it is instructive and could be inspiring. Our past must be part of our future.

n Decisions made in one century are not the same decisions you’d make in the next century. The original Bayard Taylor Memorial Library name was very fashionable in the 19th century. The Library’s name today must be appropriate for a 21st century community. That said, it would be wonderful if the new name had roots in the past.

n Everything evolves and changes. When that first Library opened, the shelves were almost empty. In the 19th Century, people stayed near home and knew where everything was. Today in the 21st Century, we travel widely. We see thousands of advertising messages a day. We need to know at least roughly where things are. Many of us use technology to get the rest of the way. The old real estate mantra of Location. Location. Location. applies more than ever.

n Everything gets old... buildings, services and names. Steven Spielberg said, Everything new and shiny eventually gets old and tired.

n The last attempt at updating the Library name was done with good intentions, but with an inadequate process, too little communication and no experienced guidance. In addition, there was little input, no options, our past was omitted, and the name that emerged was already out of date. The reaction was telling... and justified.

IS IT TIME FOR A NEW NAME?

n Bayard Taylor Memorial Library was a good name when adopted but is now two centuries old.

n We are not an historical society. We are a modern, 21st century library serving a far different and more de-manding world.

n The BTML name has kept people away. New people get confused and don’t come. Ever. The name frustrates staff who must explain it again and again. It is costing us customers and money by limiting those who come and later join the library family.

n Bayard Taylor has been forgot-ten. He has slowly faded away from view. It’s a shame. He could be a great asset if brought to life in a fresh, new and vibrant way.

n We are competing every day for time, attention and resources. We need to think in new ways and become more competitive.

19th Century 20th Century

Kennett Public Library

< POLARIZED >

DON’T KNOW DON’T CARE MOVE ON

NOT GIVING FIX IT NOW!

CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE


Where Are We As A Library Community?Early April, 2016

Bayard Taylor Memorial Library

DON’T KNOW These are community residents who aren’t particularly aware of the discussion OR who don’t have any idea what to do. Generally quiet.

DON’T CARE This group just doesn’t care. It’s only a library to them. What’s the fuss about?

MOVE ON Enough already. Just pick something.

NOT GIVING These are folks who have made it clear that they are not going to give any money until either things at the Library are fixed or they get the name they want.

FIX IT NOW! Municipal leaders are used to controversy and know how to navigate it. Their feeling is, find a solution now, and quit wasting time.

CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE This group includes the powerless and the silent — children, new families and our Latino members — all of whom have little ability or interest in being heard above louder members.

THIS MAP PORTRAYS MY VIEW OF HOW THE COMMUNITY WAS DIVIDED OVER THE NAME.

As I reviewed all the documents, it appeared at first that the library community was split only into the two red groups between the original name (BTML; a 19th century name) and the new name (KPL; a 20th century name).

As I read more and more of the documents and talked with Board members and people in the community, the blue groups started to clearly emerge one at a time.

Everyone is likely to see this all a bit differently. This is my view.


The responsibility of the Library (via its Board of Trustees, staff and volunteers) is to make sure that the Library is healthy, growing, and effective. To that end, here are seven additional recom-mendations and must-do items, each of which connects to those responsibil-ities and will help establish the brand we are developing:

1 Focus on getting people in the door. We must bring in new and existing customers every single day. People are the lifeblood of the Library. This includes making it clear where the library is and that all are welcome. 2 Stay relevant. We must be focused on delivering services which reflect what people of all ages want today.

3 The name must be public-friendly — 21st century, short, clear, easy to say and remember, and must translate well

4 Bring Bayard back to life. He was allowed to disappear. Let’s revive him in fresh new ways and make him relevant to today’s visitors, such as by portraying him in his younger days, including as a boy before he began doing so many marvelous things.

5 History needs to be integrated — and made fresh and interesting;

Bayard Taylor should be prominent with the inclusion of other well-known historic figures and eras

6 Combine yesterday, today and tomorrow. Let’s find ways to show-case our history with our present and our future. That would be a unique, fun and inspiring story for our community and visitors to hear.

7 Need a over-arching brand to attract the community — beautiful, well designed; professional, fresh, flexible; and it must work for decades (not trendy). Excellent design is the best and fastest way to differentiate one organization from others and establish lasting connections.

What Does The Library Need to Do to Move Forward?Additional Recommendations

April, 2016


Beyond a Name... Building A Brand For the Library

What’s Included In Your Brand

Name

Design of name into logo

Tagline(s)

Visuals | Imagery

Positioning concept(s)

Website

Social and Mobile Media

Documents

Signage, Banners, Etc.

Messages and Themes

Email Newsletters

Events and Promotions

Building (exterior and interior)

Vehicles and Exhibits

Domains and Social Media

Printed Materials

Giveaways

Mailings and Fund Raising

And lots more

Why Your Brand Matters So Much n Biggest asset any organization has today and includes name, image, reputa- tion, and value to customers and community

n Attracts people, talent and money if done well and managed carefully and consistently

n Helps create instant recognition and credibililty

n Consistently drives perceptions, awareness, value, and trust

n Makes you unique… and a player

n Great design attracts attention; connects emotionally; creates ownership

n Streamlines design process; saves money

n Gives you a platform upon which to build

Unlike a name alone, a brand creates a structure that can showcase many additional elements — such as the building or the grounds the library is on; the unique brand promise we want to establish in conjunc-tion with the library; and the stories that support the brand (in our case Bayard, the history of the area, famous local people, and much more).

n Develop the best possible name and discuss it openly n Build a brand around it with professional design n Implement one step at a time as the process to build a new library evolves


Doing the Homework on Library Names

Best Practices in Naming Today

Best Practices in Library Naming

Conclusions

n Best Practices in Naming Today

Since World War II and even more so recently, trends in naming have been in-creasingly focused on minimalism: short, clear and easy to remember (Apple, Google, Dell, Starbucks, Longwood Gardens, Red Cross, Salvation Army).

People prefer names that stick, not cause them to stumble or wonder how to pronounce them. Countless studies have shown that complicated or fussy names do not work well. Why? If people do not understand your name or wonder where you are, they simply don’t bother to come. Confusing poten-tial customers is a very costly mistake. They have many other options.

n Best Practices in Library Naming

We wanted to know what libraries have learned about naming themselves over the years. The answers were insightful and instructive.

Chester County We looked first at the libraries in Chester County (18 in all; see left). Sixteen of the names are location-based (name first, then Library) with some having a 20th-century adjective (i.e., free, public, or community).

Only two libraries have a person’s name in them. Honorary names usually represent a major donor, founder or local figure. The ratio of location-based names to honorary names in Chester County is eight to one.

Contiguous Counties Next, we looked at the six counties surrounding Chester County. We found 123 location-based and 12 honorary names in use, for a ratio of 10:1.

Pennsylvania Library Names We found an additional 410 library names throughout our state’s 67 counties. The roughly 10 to 1 ratio held.

Overall, the results were crystal clear. The ratio of location-based library names to honorary library names stayed fairly steady at ten location names for every one honorary name. Out of more than 500 library names, libraries had overwhelmingly chosen to identify themselves by where they are over a donor, founder or local figure from the past. The reason: it’s critical to tell people where you are first; later, you can tell people about your famous person or philanthropist.

This finding is echoed by two of the world-class institutions nearby the Library. Longwood Gardens (location + function). Brandywine River Museum (area + function). You quickly learn about the important people behind their institu-tions — once you are there.

Bottom line: The name will work best if location-based. Once they arrive, then introduce visitors and customers to Bayard. Others like Longwood Gardens and the Brandywine River Museum have done it successfully for Pierre S. DuPont and Andrew Wyeth (their Bayard Taylors).

CHESTER COUNTY (18 Libraries; 16 location-based, 2 honorary)

Atglen Public Library

Avon Grove Library


Chester Springs Library

Chester County Library and District Center

Coatesville Area Public Library

Downingtown Library

Easttown Library + Information Center

Henrietta Hankin Branch

Honey Brook Community Library

Malvern Public Library

Oxford Public Library

Paoli Library

Parkesburg Free Library

Phoenixville Public Library

Spring City Free Library

Tredyffrin Public Library

West Chester Public Library

CONTIGUOUS LIBRARIES (125 Libraries; 7 Counties) Location vs. Honorary

Chester County 16:2

Delaware County 29:5

Montgomery County 22:2

Bucks County Library 18:0

Berks County Library 21:1

Lancaster County 3:1

New Castle County 14:1

Overall: 123:12 or 10:1


Comparing the Two Original ChoicesPros & Cons and the Realities of How People React Today

s Positive

t Negative


Bayard Taylor s t

No location t

Confusing > frustrating t

Long t Sounds old t

Bayard has baggage t

Kennett Public Library

Honor Bayard 19th century fashion Local people knew it

Location clearer

Shortens name a bit

More contemporary (early 20th)

Omits Bayard s t

Location clearer s

Removes confusion s

Public is obsolete* t

Closer to what many people actually call the Library s

* Public Library was a naming term that became popular in the first half of the 20th Century. Think New York Public Library. It has remained in some library names and has been removed in others over the years. Public, Free and other descriptors are so widely understood today they have become unneeded.

Original Intentions Reactions Today


From Bayard Taylor Memorial Library to A New Name Here is a brief version of how we worked through various name options to find what worked and what did not to arrive at an effective solution.

Look carefully at the flow through one version into another.

An important thought to keep in mind: Perhaps the best strategy for thinking about the name of the library is to remember that it is mainly for others, not for those of us already inside the library family.


________________

Bayard Taylor Library

________________

Taylor LIbrary

________________

Kennett Bayard Taylor Library

________________ Kennett Bayard Taylor Library ________________

Bayard Taylor Kennett Library

________________

Bayard Taylor Kennett Library

The orginal name from 1896

________________

Shortens original name, but many problems remain:

No location – 10:1 libraries chose location.

Makes Bayard Taylor the first message; largely unknown and may not appeal to children and their parents in his current form.

Looks backward to 19th century. Does not move us forward.

Unlikely to unite the community.

________________

Less words but less clarity. Loses connection with Bayard with no real benefit. Let’s go back to reworking the original name. There are many Taylors in this area.

________________

Adding Kennett to give location makes the name more complicated and jumbles the Library and Bayard. Still confusing.

________________ Color helps but is impractical to use in many media. Cannot be controlled once outside. ________________

This version, while still muddled because of try-ing to mush together all the words was actually the ground-breaker because it showed we have two different elements, not one: Bayard Taylor + Kennett Library.

All the words are historic, but it needs work to fit the 21st century and to be suitable for building a strong brand.

Continues...


This order gives us advantages: 1) clear location, 2) a public-friendly library name people will understand and 3) it reflects what many users already call us.

You can only deliver one message at a time, so the best order is Library name first, then Bayard. We’ll add a third, a tagline, in a moment, that connects all three and brings in the brand promise.

________________

Two distinct pieces. Sample colors immediiately differenti-ate the two different elements. Both have historic roots:

Kennett Library: the two core words in the earliest names, updated for today’s world:

1820: The Kennett Square Library Company

1853: The Kennett Square Library

1883: Kennett Square Union Library Company

1896: Bayard Taylor Memorial Library Company ________________

Both pieces have important messages to deliver. The name is public-friendly -- strong, short and clear -- perfect for creating immediate understanding and getting people to visit again and again.

Bayard’s name and story can help us create a unique brand with special appeal to history lovers, learners, and perhaps young people.

A hierarchy is needed to create clarity and to make clear the distinctions in their function.

________________

Here are four key elements of the Library brand. We’ve given two parts of the brand to Ken-nett Library — the name and the brand promise (the unique concept we want the library to signify to library users and the community — such as history, innovation, forward-looking, travel, technology, and so on). In our case, the concept of a great journey is a favorite among the team.

We’ve also given two key elements to Bayard: the place (as soon as planned and approved) and the story (the unique essence of the Library, fashioned around the life and accomplishments of Bayard) and local history.

Kennett Library

Bayard Taylor

________________

Kennett Library

Bayard Taylor

________________

Kennett LibraryBayard Taylor

From the 19th Century to the 21st Working through name options to arrive at a new name and brand strategy

Kennett Library Bayard Taylor

Story

Place

Brand Promise

Name


1820: The Kennett Square Library Do Kennett Library and Bayard Taylor both have historic roots?

Kennett Library Bayard Taylor

1896: Bayard Taylor Memorial Library Company

1883: Kennett Square Union Library Company

1853: The Kennett Square Library

As you can see from the graphic, both names have been part of every library name from the beginning.

Effective communication requires that you tell your story in a sequence that pulls the listener in gradually.

So the next step in the process was creating a structure/hierarchy for telling our story step by step.

When the brand is actually in use the elements will be used in many different combinations, depending on the situation — sometimes alone, sometimes together. It’s important they work in all sorts of arrangements.

Shown here is an example where the recommended name (Kennett Library) is paired with the location (Bayard Taylor + de-scriptor to be determined with site selection; example shown) and a tagline, perhaps one that connects the library with Bayard and the public. Taglines can change but the name and place do not.

Notice next how these elements can work together in different ways while still being clear, strong and consistent. These are all indicators of a good brand hierarchy and provides flexibility for all kinds of future uses.

Bringing all the parts together



Bayard Taylor Lecture Series Kennett Library

Bayard Taylor Home & Garden Tour Kennett Library

Meet at Bayard Taylor Commons Begin your journey here

Kennett Library Begin your journey here

Kennett Library at Bayard Taylor Commons

Begin your journey here at Bayard Taylor Commons

Rotary Club of Kennett Square Meets in Kennett Library at Bayard Taylor Commons




Will this approach be effective?Building a strong brand requires bring-ing together many different skills and types of knowledge. Some parts of the brand, like the library name, require research, wordsmithing and testing. Additional elements like integrating Bayard Taylor and messages like the taglines require custom strategies and fresh thinking.

Once the elements are approved, then we will move to the design phase where the look and feel are defined. This stage involves graphic design skills, experienced creativity and superior judgment. All these components help a brand to work together and become successful.

Public-friendly Simple, strong and clear Easy for all ages Location is first Removes confusion Resolves pronunciation issues Translates well Biblioteca de Kennett

Flexible Easily combined with other elements

21st Century Minimalist, crisp, all you need

Historic Roots Every word has a bit of heritage

In Wide Use Now Many library customers refer to the library this way now

Proven | Low Risk The formula of location plus Library is used 10:1 — people get it

Important to be accessible across all types of media today

Web Searches

Social Media

Digital Media

Voice Media

Printed Media

Signage

Events

Communications

Continuity makes it easy to find you everywhere

Website Kennett Library.org Facebook Kennett Library Twitter @KennettLibrary Pinterest KennettLibrary LinkedIn KennettLibrary Google+ Kennett Library

Emails to be intuitive @kennettlibrary.org


Bringing Bayard Back to Life

Bayard’s long absence from view at the Library can be reversed in the years to come, especially as the community embraces the new Library brand and finds way to sup-port building a wonderfull new Library for all to enjoy for generations to come.

On these pages are shown just five of the ideas being recommended as ways to bring Bayard Taylor back to life. Some of these ideas are simple and can be up and running in a few months. Others will take longer. A few are dependent on the building process but are hopefully just a few years away.

And there are lots of ideas not yet conceived or discovered. See what you think of these concepts -- and remember that what was once impossible may now be within reach thanks to great new technologies.

Bring Bayard back as a younger man... perhaps at two or more different ages. Each age creates opportunities.

Today, people are less inspired by older heroes from the past. So why not create a young Bayard full of hopes and dreams and who loves to read, write stories and poetry? A young man who has not yet accomplished great things but who will go on to do so? This approach, in the hands of a good storyteller or teacher, could lead in many directions simply by asking questions of kids:

If you could go anywhere, where would you go? Why? Would you ever like to write a book? What would you write about? Someday, what would you like to be known for being good at?

These and other questions can all be followed up with bits of Bayard’s life... fashioned around what he went on to do, rather than saying, When Bayard was your age... Make him a kid (just like you, looking ahead with hope and apprehension... who found the courage and the resources to accomplish remarkable things). This approach could be used for school visits, in children’s areas, and even right outside the new library in sculptures and art. Endless and reusable year after year.

Perhaps just outside could be a figure of young man (20’s)named Bayard you meet as you walk into the new building.

A young man who has just returned from a great journey through Europe, paid for in very entrepreneurial ways. He could be walking inside or perhaps sitting at Bayard’s Bench, ready for you to sit down beside and have your picture taken (everybody has a camera today). This could easily become a local landmark over time. A handsome young Bayard would appeal to the growing Young Adult community. Lots of possibilities.

Imagine Bayard as a 10-15 year old Why not a Bayard’s Bench to relax and have your picture taken?


Build Bayard into the basics just as Longwood Gardens and Brandywine River Museum do with their Bayard Taylors — Pierre S. DuPont and Andrew Wyeth.

Include short sections about Bayard and his contributions on printed materials, in slide shows, in newsletters and on social media. Not long or complicated. Just intriguing and inspiring. Make short items for the big screen TVs so Bayard appears now and then in interesting ways. Don’t overexpose him or people will tire of him. There is a balance. Make it fun to see him here and there.

Create a few focused times to celebrate Bayard in a bigger way repetitively year after year.

Consider a two-day celebration each year, perhaps right before a big local event. People will catch on if it’s consistent like Chester County Day (First Saturday in October). Have a variety of activities for all ages and vary the theme every year. Use technology now and then — like a laser light show.

Give Bayard a job or two. Put him on staff.

Why not make one of Bayard’s jobs to bring people inside the library? Why not give him a role (ready for this...) like Oprah Winfrey where he travels through time to meet and talk with great people from this area or who had some connection to this part of the world? Bayard often interviewed people so it’s a natural. That opens the way to focusing on some of our diverse and wonderful history — and introducing real people from our early history, Colonial days, the American Revolution and the Civil War, as well as from the Industrial Revolu-tion and today’s techology age. Endless. Endless. Endless. And all enhanced by today’s technology.

What about a spot outside the front doors where people can gather and all kinds of events can be gin or be held?

Bringing Bayard Back to LifeContinued...


Thank you!

On behalf of our entire Board of Trustees, I thank you for taking time to read this Summary of our progress in developing a strong new brand — including a new name — for a Library that so many love and value highly.

I hope you will join us for one of the upcoming sessions on Tuesday, May 3 to hear the entire presentation for yourself and ask any questions you have. The information is to the right. Please take a minute to sign up now.

I hope to see you there!

Thomas C. Swett President

April 20, 2016

HOW TO SIGN UP FOR THE PUBLIC SESSIONS TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2016 at 3:00 and 6:00 pm Kennett Township Building Lower-level Public Meeting Room 801 Burrows Run Road Chadds Ford, PA 19317

Sign up online:

3:00 Session

6:00 Session

Library Website:

KennettPublicLibrary.org

At the Library: Circulation Desk




http://KennettPublicLibrary.org



CARL FRANCIS

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

CEO and Chief Strategist

Envisian Strategic

Adjunct Professor

LeBow College of Business

Drexel University

MBA Programs

Contact Information Carl Francis

[email protected]

610.640.4600 x1 p

610.517.2037 c Envisian Inc.

Chester County Commons

12 Mystic Lane

Malvern, PA 19355-1942

envisian.com

An expert in Strategic Leadership, Carl Francis works with business leaders to turn problems into progress. He is an adviser, author, instructor, and innovator.

Carl specializes in resolving major strategic issues such as leader-ship and ownership transitions, getting important deals completed, mitigating outside threats, building competitiveness, creating strategic market presence and brand revitalization. He advises banks, law and insurance firms, corporations, consultants and advisers, government agencies, and non-profits.

He is a Board Member and Governance Chair of the Chester County

Community Foundation and a past Board Member of Chester County 2020, the Easttown Library Foundation, and Priority One Foundation, as well as an adviser to the Chester County Planning Commission, 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and other corporate and non-profit boards. Carl received the Chairman’s Presentation from the Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry for his work in leading their strategic task force.

A long-time member of Vistage, a national CEO peer-to-peer advisory group, Carl received the Skip Lange Award for exceptional personal and professional contributions.

Since 2005, Carl has been an Adjunct Professor and Lecturer at

Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business in their internation-ally-ranked MBA programs – creating popular new courses in C-level thinking, planning, leadership, and strategy. He received a Distin-guished Teaching Award for the Executive MBA program. In addi-tion, he teaches in Drexel’s Corporate and Executive Education and Philadelphia Fellowship Programs.

Completely re-thinking strategy and planning, Carl and his team have been inventing next-generation strategic tools – called the One Hour Tools

™ platform. This new visually-based system includes

Reality Mapping, One-line Planning, Progress Lines, Seven Levels of Strategic Thinking, the Dream On Lifecycle of Business, and the Envisian 360 – which enables rapid diagnosis of problem areas across multiple disciplines.

As Director of the Years Ahead Project, Carl is researching why some leaders are years ahead of others, for a future book.

A graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University, Carl studied under Verne Edwards, one of the nation’s top Journalism educators.

Today, his strategic practice extends throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond. He lives in the Philadelphia suburbs.