​The Howe Library has traditionally been a rest stop of choice for hikers on the Appalachian Trail which passes through the town of Hanover, New Hampshire. Typically, hikers have used the Library’s on-line terminals to communicate with friends, family, and other hikers about their progress and whereabouts on the Trail.

Wishing to build upon its hospitality to hikers, the Library asked CGD to design a wall panel on which hikers could post snapshots and hand-written notes. Rather than just a blank magnetic surface with a title strip, CGD provided the Library with a 2’–9” x 13’ steel panel laminated with a reproduction of the National Park Service map of the Appalachian Trail. Portable folded versions of this map have long been available through the Park Service, but the scaled-up presence of the Library’s wall display allows hikers to take an easy-to-read fix on where they are, where they’ve been, and where they want to go.

The “Hikers’ Wall” panel, together with a bank of terminals, now provide the hiker with a highly visible communications center framed by a structural bay in the Library. As expected, hikers often position their snapshots near the sites and towns on the map where the photos were taken.