Strathmore library reveals new logo

By Lorenzo Gavilan Vargas Times Reporter

The Strathmore Municipal Library has updated their old logo of 10 years in favour of a new, updated look filled with symbolism.

The new logo was designed by local tattoo artist Vince Kanarec and library staff member Heather Ulmer. The collaborative creation of the logo is a good indicator of the spirit of the library, according to Assistant Director of Library Services Carmen Erison.

“We really have quite a great collaborative team at the library. Not just the library staff in general, but the library board and our volunteers, and that’s kind of extended out to the community members and organizations that we work with as well. It’s a very collaborative group of people” she said.

The library’s previous logo was created over 10 years ago, according to Erison. As a result, staff decided it needed an update.

“We just felt the library has really progressed over the years (and) that it really didn’t quite represent what the library is all about anymore,” she said. “So because of that, we decided we wanted to have a fresh look to the library.”

The new logo contains significant symbolism that reflects the library’s philosophy. 

“Every aspect of the logo has its own representation,” said Erison. “The tree itself represents our model, lifelong learning, because as we grow, we learn, so that tree really represents that growth. The apple inside one of the leaves represents literacy, which is our number one focus as a library. The light bulb represents collaboration. The globe represents digital resources, which is moving libraries into the future, and the handprints equal community. All of these symbols are what makes the library what it is today.”

The library plans to reopen in Stage 2 of the provincial government’s reopening plan. The province will move to Stage 2 when 60 per cent of Albertans aged 12 and older have had at least one vaccine dose and hospitalizations remain below 500.

“From what we understand from the announcement, we’re hearing at least mid-June is when hopefully we’ll be able to reopen,” noted Erison. “We’re quite excited because we really miss our patrons. We miss the people inside the library.”