SWAMPSCOTT — The town’s public library has been a staple in the community for more than 100 years, but it’s never had its own logo. Until now.
After a three-month competition, which brought in nearly 40 local artist submissions, Swampscott resident Gina Janovitz designed the library’s winning logo. Inspired by the architectural structure of the building’s windows, Janovitz created a logo that depicted the vintage windows coming out of the pages of a book.
“We wanted something iconic, not generic, to highlight the library,” said Head of Circulation Laura Williams. “Books can sometimes be our windows to the world. Gina really ticked off all the boxes in regards to what we were looking for.”
Janovitz said, before visiting the library, she had two designs she was working on, one portraying the ocean and the other depicting a book. She made her way to the 102-year-old building and became mesmerized by the windows.
“These windows are so amazing,” Janovitz said. “From inside you can see all the light shining through and it’s just beautiful.”
The three-year town resident said she rushed home and got right back to work, with help from photos she took of the windows. She uploaded the pictures and started from scratch, using her cursor to trace the outline of the windows in an obvious “Big Blue” color.
“I had never really done something like this before, from scratch,” Janovitz said.
Well, stepping outside of her comfort zone paid off for the longtime graphic designer. In March, she got the email from Williams that her design was chosen as the winner. She then volunteered her time to work with library staff to order branded merchandise with the logo on it, such as tote bags, car magnets, and bookmarks.
“I started this job in August and I realized the library had no logo, it just used an illustration of the building,” Williams said. “I wanted to draw people into the library with a means of showing off the local and artist talent here in town.”
Williams said it was a hard choice for her and her staff, but they felt Janovitz’s design truly represented the Swampscott Public Library, which she calls a beacon in the community. She said they hope the new logo will draw more people in and help the library become more recognized in the community.
All logo merchandise will continue to be available for purchase at the library, with proceeds benefiting the library’s future programming.
“This is it,” Williams said. “This logo, this is us.”
