I just attended an online webinar presented by Tara Murray, Director of Information Services/Librarian for the American Philatelic Research Library, and hosted by SLA. The webinar was a great concise outline of poster construction and presentation, and Tara agreed to let me share the highlights with you. You can get more information from her blog at http://diylibrarian.org/archive/2012/04/10/posters/
I know this will come in handy for our upcoming poster at NJLA!
- Read the instructions! Follow the directions for poster size and format.
- Include your name on your poster- nobody wants to be anonymous.
Generally, your poster should include:
- Title of your poster
- Authors and affiliations
- Contact information
- Intro/abstract- check with instructions if required or not wanted
- Methods, if a research study, or a description
- Conclusion
- References and acknowledgements (optional)
Other helpful info:
- Posters can be created using Adobe Illustrator, or MS PowerPoint.
- Your title font should be at least 1.5 inches, the rest of the text at least 24 pt font- readable from 3-4’ away. All caps are difficult to read, as are fancy fonts. Sans-serif is good for titles; serif fonts may be easier to read in the body.
- Color is good for highlighting important points, but don’t go crazy. Contrast is important–don’t use light text on light background.
- Leave space around your text. Posters are visual- use images.
- Don’t laminate–it makes the poster heavy, and causes glare.
- Carry your poster in a tube or carrying case, especially if flying.
- Handouts are a good place for additional information that didn’t fit on the poster, and for contact information. They should remind people of your poster.
- Read the instructions so you are prepared with mounting materials, and check to see if you have a table for handouts, and electricity for a laptop. On the day of your presentation, arrive early to set up. Stay near your poster to answer questions.
Thanks Tara and SLA!
~Laura Palumbo, co-webmaster