Designing a Database Brochure
by Debra Orellana 

I am very eager to start on my next class project for LIS 724-10 Media Services and Production [Dominican University Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Summer 2014].

The assignment is a creative and informative one, encouraging students to use a real or imaginary library as the focus for a library brochure. The objective is to include and expand on the digital resources (other than the traditional physical materials offered in libraries) and focus on subscription databases the library of one's choice would offer. 

The concept for the Urban Spaces Virtual Library celebrates city culture in the "here and now" where members are encouraged to share and submit their own materials such as historical documents and records they may have in their possession, research on urban development, digital photography and video, audio recordings and broadcasts, urban artifacts and ephemera. This kind of city collective gives back to society and proceeds are invested back into the community and to local charities.

The library I created is called the Urban Spaces Virtual Library which would feature actual subscription databases such as Academic Search Complete, Art Museum Image Gallery, Art & Architecture in Video, 3D Urban Virtual City, Naxos Music Library and Style Sight Fashion. 

I based the selections for databases on the following criteria: 
familiarity and usefulness (Academic Search Complete)
contemporary and diverse (Art Museum Image Gallery, Art & Architecture in Video), 
uniqueness and utility (3D Urban Virtual City), 
creativity and inspiration (Naxos Music Library and Style Sight Fashion).

The list of special collections resources incorporated into the brochure were made up. I wanted to include resources that focused more on current urban street culture, the street art, architecture, fashion, street music and poetry. 

"There is so much going on in cities, a smorgasbord of different cultures morphing to the next as one neighborhood ends and the other begins...
this urban line of separation and gentrification intrigues,
 and is the true voice of a city."

I started by selecting a three-fold brochure template and created the layout using the Pages 4.2 program for Mac (luckily this design program came with my Mac). I used the three panel brochure template because it would allow for separation of the introductory pages leading to a one page spread when fully opened. I envisioned using the inside spread to list the subscription databases and collections giving a poster-style vibe. 

The Urban Spaces Virtual Library would be a membership program offering members free access to subscription databases and collections and incentives like a 10% discount on the purchase of e-books, poster-quality scans and reproduction of images and audio. An added member bonus would include discounts to city events and venues. 

The photographs included in the brochure were taken by me at various spots in downtown Chicago over the last four years. I like to photograph unique wall markings, textures, interesting stylized tags and graffiti because it amazes me that some of this street art is intended to be conspicuous yet one may find these in the most inconspicuous places!

Submitted on July 30, 2014.