Knowledge Base: Library Help

When your library decides to adopt a new name, you have 2 options:

Option A: Informally adopt a second name, while retaining your original name as your legal name.

A library might do this if they want to adopt an honorary name (e.g. to recognize a person in their community) while also retaining and using the library’s original name (e.g. that mentions their municipality).

Steps:

1. Board passes a motion to adopt a second unofficial/honorary library name to use alongside their legal name.
2. Decide how the library wants to communicate the dual names:
   1. On your website and other communication documents
   2. On the building itself (e.g a signage); and
   3. By announcing the change to the community.
3. Alert NLLS by sending a ticket to ask@nlls.ab.ca, telling us you are adopting a second name and that it is not a legal name change.

Option B: Formally replace your official/legal name with a new one.

Changing your library’s legal name from one thing to another needs to be done officially, and several groups need to be notified.

Steps

1. Board passes a motion to change the legal name of the library.
2. Alert PLSB of the name change – email  libraries@gov.ab.ca and include a copy of the meeting minutes where your name change was passed.
3. Alert NLLS by sending a ticket to ask@nlls.ab.ca. In your ticket, let us know that you have completed steps 1 and 2, and if you need us to change your website and email domains (this is optional and not always necessary).
   NLLS will change your name in :
   1. The Canadian Library Directory (your code does not change, but the name listed will).
   2. The NLLS Master Contact List
   3. Your name on the NLLS website / map
   4. Polaris (which also changes Leap / TRACpac+ /TRACpac App)
   5. Overdrive (and any other eresources)
   6. Power BI and statistical reports
   7. Your Google Business Account (unless your library administers this yourselves)
   8. (Optional) Your website address/domain
   1. (Optional) Your email domain - i.e. the bit after the @ symbol
4. Inform your:
   1. Local and County councils
   2. Bank and any utility/service providers who bill you
   3. Funders (anyone who sends you money)
   4. Patrons
   5. Community partners – your organizational partners, you Friends of the Library Group, and anywhere you may be listed in a directory
   6. (Optional) The wider library community – i.e. NLLS and TRAC mailing lists
5. Change name references on your:
   1. Website and social media
   2. Print materials (e.g. brochures, posters, business cards, letterhead)
   3. Library signage
6. (Optional) Order new stamps for marking “property of X library” or your address.