America, despite its relatively young age, has participated in a lot of conflicts. Most of that fighting hasn’t occurred on US soil, however. Combined, over 520,000 US service members died in both World Wars, many in Europe, for example. As a result, you'll find many memorials commemorating US fighting forces across the Atlantic.
The American Library in Norfolk is one such memorial, honoring the 6,900 US airmen from the 2nd Air division that lost their lives in Allied campaigns. The library contains 4,000 books on American life and culture and a digital archive of over 30,000 original photographs, documents, memoirs, and other media.
Created as a living memorial for the brave American airmen that lost their lives in the fight against Nazi fascism, it does so by sharing with readers American life and culture. The Second Air Division Memorial Trust, which manages the library, enlisted the talents of design studio The Click to align the organization's purpose with its branding and visual identity while commemorating the sacrifice of the fallen airmen.
Originally called the 2nd Air Division USAAF Memorial Library, The Click changed the name, as they wanted to link the library with its mission. The new name, The American Library, is bold and stays true to the organization's mission of curating American culture during a tumultuous period. The Click also reworked the logo, creating an inventive play on the Stars and Stripes, as it literally takes on the shape of an open book.
That same motif gets scattered across the rebrand, becoming a framing device for other library assets. Above all, it serves as a new chapter for the library while celebrating the past and its present purpose.
