The Montana State Library Commission will consider a new logo design after rejecting a similar design in August.
The new design’s color scheme incorporates colors from the Montana state flag, according to a memo from the rebranding subcommittee to the commission on the new design, and keeps the original open hexagon shape and prism concept “that reflects transforming information into knowledge.”
During a June meeting, Commissioner Tamara Hall expressed opposition to the original design when it was first unveiled, saying it looked similar to an LGBTQ+ rainbow. She said the design would set off a “firestorm” and called the rainbow a “political, explosive” weapon.
Hall was one of four commissioners to vote against the originally proposed design in July.
However, she said then that her opposition to the design had nothing to do with the colors or the prism, but was in part due to the lack of books included in the logo.
“It has nothing to do with colors. It has nothing to do with the prism. I’d like to make that clear. I’m sorry that that became such a big issue,” Hall said.
The new logo was submitted by a rebranding subcommittee, which formed after the commission’s July meeting at the suggestion of Superintendent of Public Instruction and Commission member Elsie Arntzen.
State Librarian Jennie Stapp, a member of the subcommittee, said they took care to factor in feedback from staff and members of the public with the new design, adding it was important they had something they felt was representative of Montana.
“The idea of having colors that were drawn from the Montana State Flag was something that resonated with the full subcommittee,” Stapp said to the Daily Montanan.
The rebranding subcommittee included commission members included Commission Chair Dalton Johnson, Co-Chair Peggy Taylor and Kristin Kerr, as well as State Library staff, according to Stapp on Tuesday.
Addie Palin of the advertising agency of Hoffman York presented the original design to commissioners in June and consulted with the rebranding subcommittee as well, Stapp said.
The Commission will be voting on the new logo at their upcoming meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 9:30 a.m. at the Montana State Capitol, Room 303 or join through Zoom, Meeting ID: 567 883 688.
This story originally appeared in the The Daily Montanan, which can be found online at dailymontanan.com.