Is it ever appropriate to use a space before and after an ampersand?

Question

A colleague and I have a difference of opinion. I believe our department should be abbreviated as "L&D." She believes it should be "L & D," which just looks silly to me. I never see spaces used before and after an ampersand when the term is an abbreviation (two distinct words, yes, but an abbreviation, no), but I haven't been able to find a rule pertaining to this particular issue. Is there one?

Answer 1

Int he case of acronyms, like L&D in your example above, spaces are normally not used before and after the ampersand. In the case of words, you add a space before and after to avoid confusion and for clarification.

Hope this helps.