Statistics, numbers, data... they're important info to convey to a library's customers, trustees, and the public.  But how can you communicate the value of your library if those reports look dry and daunting?

Try this: create an infographic (a.k.a. information graphic) to make a visually-appealing & easily-comprehended way to get your message across. People like to view images rather than just plain text.  You know the old saying — "A picture paints a thousand words."

Infographics...

• are visual presentations of information that use the elements of design to display content
• blend images and words to create an informative story
• communicate complex data quickly and clearly
• compress and display information in a visually pleasing way
• put data into a format that's easy to understand

To get inspired, look at these great infographics:

• One week at Appleton Public Library
• E-reading Trends
• Colorado School Librarians: Improving Student Achievement
• U.S. Public Libraries Weather the Storm
• Anatomy of a Librarian
• some more viewable at these Pinterest boards curated by Ye Olde Fortress of Awesome and Cindy Huskey

Create your own infographics with these free tools:

• Piktochart — customize one of the 5 free templates by adding shapes, graphics & text with drag & drop; customize the fonts & color scheme to suit your taste; then save the image in .png format to share anywhere
• Infogr.am — choose a template; add text, edit a chart, add a picture; then share it on your Facebook page or grab the code to embed it on your website
• Easel.ly — pick a theme; drag & drop objects or upload your own; then copy & paste the link to point to or grab the embed code to add to your website
• Visual.ly — another free tool where you choose & edit a template, but you must connect to either your Facebook or Twitter account to authorize the Create app
• The DIY Guide To Infographics — walks you through choosing an idea to illustrate and deciding how to visualize the data
• A Few Rules for Making Homemade Infographics — 6 tips for infographics success

And if you want to print a loooong infographic, I suggest using the free Block Posters service. Sources:

• Telling Your Story With Visual Power
• The Anatomy Of An Infographic: 5 Steps To Create A Powerful Visual
• A Picture is Worth 1,000 Gigabytes: Creating InfoGraphics with Middle School Students
• Over 100 Incredible Infographic Tools and Resources (Categorized)
• Infographics for Librarians, Educators, and Other Cool Geeks
• InfoGraphic Labs