Winners Announced: 2025 PR Xchange Awards Competition

The Core PR Xchange Committee is delighted to announce the winners of this year's PR Xchange Awards Competition. This year, we have awarded 27 print winners and 27 electronic winners. Congratulations to those libraries! The PR Xchange Committee is charged with coordinating the annual awards competition, under the direction of the Awards and Scholarships Subcommittee of Core, a division of the American Library Association (ALA).

The Core PR Xchange Committee is delighted to announce the winners of this year's PR Xchange Awards Competition. This year, we have awarded 26 print winners and 25 electronic winners. Congratulations to those libraries! The PR Xchange Committee is charged with coordinating the annual awards competition, under the direction of the Awards and Scholarships Subcommittee of Core, a division of the American Library Association (ALA).

More than 297 entries in print and electronic formats were submitted from over 100 institutions, including public, academic, school, state, and special libraries. Entries were evaluated by a jury of 18 virtual judges. Submissions were assessed based on the quality of content, format, design, creativity, and originality. The jury, which included a group of talented marketing professionals, graphic designers, librarians, and visual artists, was very impressed by the innovative work submitted by these libraries. Winning entries will be on display at the PR Xchange Event from 12:00pm - 2:00pm on Saturday, June 28, 2025, in Exhibit Hall A, Philadelphia Convention Center, at the ALA Annual Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Attendees will have the opportunity to view and take-home sample promotional materials from libraries across North America.

The PR Xchange Awards ceremony will take place after the PR Xchange Event in the same space (Exhibit Hall A) from 1:30 - 2:00pm, where this year's co-chairs will distribute award certificates to the winners.

Winners are listed below by marketing category, and then library budget. Here is the slideshow of the winning entries. 

Print Winners (26 winners)

Advocacy /Fundraising/ Annual Reports, and Strategic Plans (5)

• Essential Libraries Initiative Booklet
  LeRoy Collins Leon County Public Library System ($1-$5 million - tie)
   
• 2025-2029 Strategic Plan
  North Vancouver City Library ($1-$5 million - tie)
   
• 2024-2027 Strategic Plan
  North Vancouver District Public Library ($5 - $10 million - tie)
   
• Strategic Plan Brochure
  Geneva Public Library ($5 - $10 million - tie)
   
• Year in Review 2023-2024
  William H. Hannon Library ($10 - $15 million)
   
• 2024 Annual Report
  Tulsa City-County Library (over $15 million)

External Communications (4)

• Newsletter & Billboard
  Round Lake Area Public Library ($1 - $5 million)
   
• Adult Fall Programs Highlights
  Worcester Public Library ($5-$10 million)
   
• New Library Cardholder Tri-Fold Brochure
  Poudre Libraries ($10 - $15 million)
   
• Unfold - Fall 2024
  St. Joe County Public Library (Over $15 million)

Materials Promoting Collections, Services, Resources (5)

• Statista Did You Know Poster
  Regina Library (Under $1 million)
   
• Music Archive Mini-LPs
  University of Missouri-Kansas City ($1 - $5 million)
   
• Coffee & Books
  Napa County Library ($5  - $10 million)
   
• Literacy on the Go! Library Card
  Anaheim Public Library ($10 - $15 million)
   
• Mizzou Libraries QR Code Guide
  University of Missouri Libraries (Over $15 million)

Reading Programs (4)

• Summer Programs Booklet
  LeRoy Collins Leon County Public Library System ($1 - $5 million)
   
• Summer Challenge Guide
  Geneva Public Library ($5  - $10 million)
   
• Zombee's Winter Reading Fest!
  Anaheim Public Library ($10 - $15 million)
   
• Winter Reading Program Lobby Poster
  Naperville Public Library (Over $15 million)

Special Events (5)

• Poetry Night Poster
  Regina Library (Under $1 million)
   
• Triumph Over Adversity: Reflections with Jim Abbott 
  Chelsea District Library ($1 - $5 million)
   
• Live Concert - Outdoor Concert - Acoustic Soul
  The Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library ($5  - $10 million)
   
• Library Open House Invitation
  Montana State University Library ($10 - $15 million)
   
• Author Voices Series Fall Events
  King County Library System (over $15 million)

Exhibits (2)

• Celebrating the Center for Diversity and Inclusion at Hope College
  Van Wylen Library ($1 - $5 million)
• Guess the Historic Building Exhibit
  Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library (Over $15 million)

Electronic Winners (25 winners)

Advocacy /Fundraising/ Annual Reports, and Strategic Plans (4)

• 2025 - 2028 Strategic Plan 
  Marion Public Library ($1 - $5 million)
   
• 2024 University Libraries Impact Report
  Loyola University Chicago Libraries ($5 - $10 million)
   
• Foundation for Yonkers Public Library Annual Appeal 
  Yonkers Public Library $10 - $15 million)
   
• 2023-2024 Impact Report
  UC Santa Barbara Library (Over $15 million)

External Communications (5)

• Library Lowdown – December
  Bryan Wildenthal Memorial Library (Under $1 million)
   
• Antarctica’s Wonders Captured Through a Texas A&M University Libraries Camera
  Texas A&M University Libraries ($1  - $5 million)
   
• Librarian's Summer Reading Starter Pack
  Mandel Public Library ($5  - $10 million)  
• Welcome to the William H. Hannon Library
  William H. Hannon Library ($10 - $15 million)  
• Gen Z-Scripted Video Tour of UCSB Library
  UC Santa Barbara Library (Over $15 million)

Materials Promoting Collections, Services, Resources (4)

• Share the Library: CSUB Library Bookmarks Mark More Than Pages
  Walter W. Stiern Library (Under $1 million)
   
• Phantom Finds
  Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library ($1 - $5 million)
   
• USask Library Low Sensory Study Room
  University of Saskatchewan Murray Library ($10 - $15 million)
   
• Smokey and the Banned Books
  Pioneer Library System (Over $15 million)

Reading Programs (4)

• October Book Club: Flamer
  Borough of Manhattan Community College/CUNY ($1 - $5 million)
   
• 2024 Community Read
  Vigo County Public Library ($5 - $10 million)
• Feel the Rhythm of Reading
  Anaheim Public Library ($10 - $15 million)
• Summer Learning Challenge 2025
  Pioneer Library System (Over $15 million)

Special Events (5)

• Colorful Events Schedule Promoting the Makerspace
  Levin Library (Under $1 million)
   
• OlinCon Event Signage
  Rollins College Olin Library ($1 - $5 million)
   
• Community Yarn Project Brochure
  Longwood Public Library ($5 - $10 million)
   
• Coechella
  University of Wyoming Libraries ($10 - $15 million)
   
• Gather and Graft Workshop digital slide
  UC Santa Barbara Library (Over $15 million)

Virtual Exhibits (3)

• Graphic Artist
  Ela Area Public Library District ($5 - $10 million)
   
• Historic Clothing Collection
  James E. Walker Library, Middle Tennessee State University ($10 - $15 million)
   
• Like, Totally Transformative: CMU in the 1980s
  Carnegie Mellon University Libraries (Over $15 million)

All libraries are invited to mail in their promotional materials (30-50 copies) to be shared with colleagues at the PR Xchange Event, regardless of whether you won an award this year. Approximately 1,000 ALA Annual Conference attendees visit the PR Xchange event each year. Download mailing labels here.

For more information about the PR Xchange Committee, please contact:

Holly Flynn, Chair
Mark Aaron Polger, Past-Chair
2025 PR Xchange Awards Committee
2024-2025 Awards and Scholarships Sub-committee
Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures
American Library Association
https://www.ala.org/core
questions@prxchange-awards.org

About Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures
Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures is the national association that advances the profession of librarians and information providers in central roles of leadership and management, collections and technical services, and technology. Our mission is to cultivate and amplify the collective expertise of library workers in core functions through community building, advocacy, and learning. Follow us on our Blog, Instagram, or LinkedIn.