Raising the profile of a national treasure

Smithsonian Libraries stands on its own merits

At the heart of every Smithsonian Institution museum and research center is a library. Each one is truly a world-class place of learning where experts come to both test and expand their ideas – and a place where we can all turn for answers. Collectively, the Smithsonian Libraries form one of America’s most precious scientific and cultural treasures. Thanks to the Libraries’ expanding online presence and digitalization initiatives, more and more people, from across the country and the world, are able to access their vast resources.

As information technologies compound the ability and need to share knowledge, the demands on this unique and valuable source of knowledge are constantly growing. The challenge in front of the Libraries is to find the way to meet these needs with financial resources increasingly constrained.

With federal budget allocations covering less and less of its expenses, it is imperative for the Libraries to find new sources of funding. To support those efforts, the Libraries needed to raise its public profile. At the same time, it needed to create differentiation from the larger Smithsonian Institution and its system-wide fundraising initiative – the Smithsonian Campaign.

Weighing all the benefits, the Libraries decided to adopt a separate, yet related, brand for the organization. Working closely with the advisory board, executive team and staff, Tenet Partners led the strategic and design creation of the new Smithsonian Libraries' brand, extending it to the Libraries website, social media and physical assets.