Vancouver Public Library to enforce brand loyalty in sponsorships

This is an interesting tidbit coming from Vancouver, BC, site of history’s largest librarian’s strike in 2007.

Library management has sent branches a list of “do’s and don’t’s” concerning the upcoming Olympics. Branches must not allow Olympic-related library events to be sponsored by sponsors other than those with official relations with VANOC (Vancouver Olympic Committee). So, it has to be McDonalds, not Wendy’s, and it has to be Coke, and not Pepsi. Furthermore, there are audio-visual technology companies sponsoring the Olympics as well, so if you have a technician in from another company to help with the event, their company t-shirt must be covered.

Isn’t that just a little too much?

Here is the article: Librarians Told to Stand on Guard for 2010 Sponsors, The Tyee, January 12, by Geoff Dembicki.