Pierce County Library System
Information & Imagination

About Us

Naming

To establish naming conventions which ensure easy understanding of facility locations for customers, and to allow opportunities for the Library to recognize significant contributions.

Significant contribution: Money, securities, real or personal property, or contributions of services or service that represent a major percentage of the cost of the portion of the facility named or represent a significant donation to the Pierce County Library Foundation or significant contribution to the Pierce County Library.

Library branches are named for geographic locations that reflect the community that they primarily serve and are most effective in helping library users identify where library services are available and which library is more convenient for their use.

Changes in branch names will be considered if a name no longer provides a readily apparent indication of the branch’s service area.

All names or changes to names applied to a facility or portion of a facility must be approved by the Board of Trustees.

Naming as recognition

Persons or groups who have made a significant financial or other contribution to the Pierce County Library may be honored by applying their name to an area of a facility, such as a community room or children's area.

Not all significant contributions will be recognized by naming.

The Fund Development Director and the Library Executive Director will develop naming opportunities, guidelines and thresholds that ensure equity and consistency. Such opportunities are intended to allow the Library to show appreciation for significant contributions and to inspire significant contributions in the future.

Prior to a major capital campaign, the Board of Trustees will approve a campaign list and thresholds for naming opportunities related to the project.

Naming as recognition generally lasts for the useful life of the space or facility. The Library reserves the right to determine whether existing named spaces will be transferred when a facility is replaced or remodeled.

An exception to geographically-oriented names of branches may be considered by the Board of Trustees when a branch site and/or construction is financed through private contribution(s) and when such contribution(s) equal a significant portion of the total project cost.

Gifts

Adopted by the Pierce County Rural Library District Board of Trustees (as Policy on Branch Library Names): January 21, 1981.
Revised and renamed (Naming Policy): September 17, 1998.
Revised: May 15, 2013

Download or print PDF of policy