Creating Summer Reader Pizzazz

Yes, you read that correctly - I just said pizzazz.

Summer Reader is a great forum to show a little creativity and to create a site that draws library users in. We provide a few pre-set color combinations, but what if you want to do a bit more? Here are some of our favorite links to graphics and color palettes to help you make your Summer Reader site stand out.

iStockphoto (pay-for service) - http://www.istockphoto.com/index.phpYou have to buy a bundle of "credits" from iStockphoto, the lowest cost bundle of credits being $18 for a pack of 12 credits. The Pay-As-You-Go feature is ideal for smaller libraries that don't purchase new graphics frequently. Take advantage of the Dollar Bin to really stretch your credits. Great for making the Sponsor image in Summer Reader.

Shutter Stock (pay-for service with an exception!) - http://www.shutterstock.com/Shutter Stock has high quality graphics, but depending on your budget, the prices might be prohibitive. One great feature is the "Free Graphic of the Week" and "Free Vector Image of the Week". Take advantage of those to use in your Sponsor Image!

Stock Exchange (pay-for and free) - http://www.sxc.hu/This site sometimes takes a lot of searching, but you can find gems that are both pay-for and free. Again, a great resource for the Sponsor image.

Flickr - Creative Commons (free) - http://www.flickr.com/creativecommonsUse the great images found on the Creative Commons Flickr page to use on your Summer Reader page. Watch the usage licenses carefully to protect artists' rights!

Colour Lovers (free) - http://www.colourlovers.com/Need help deciding on a color palette or are you in need of a background design for your Summer Reader site? Check here! Beautiful color palettes provide perspective on what colors match each other best. And Color Lovers members combine colors and design into beautiful designs that can be set to your background (be sure to use the background image repeat option to fill the background of the Summer Reader page).

Font Freak (free) - http://www.fontfreak.comFont Freak offers hundreds of free fonts that are perfect for creating the Sponsor graphic. It can be tricky to get to the fonts, so follow these directions: Go to the site, click "Enter Here", then click "No Thanks, I'll download them one by one" (unless you want to purchase the full pack of fonts), then on the far left under "Free Fonts" you will see links to Fonts, New Fonts, Dingbats. Click on any of those three depending on what you are searching for.

Happy Font Hunting! Hope these help you in your quest for Summer Reader pizzazz!

Let us know how it goes and what you come up with - and please share great resources you use by posting in the comments section of our blog.~ Christine - Coordinator of Customer Experience