Public Relations in Contemporary Academic Libraries

In contemporary times public relations has become an imperative and a necessity in the library. The reason for this is apparent - the library has evolved along with trends in the human society. It is no longer a mere building where information resources are acquired, stored and loaned to users but an institution of information accessibility, managed by better trained professionals, offering auxiliary services that aid the information and knowledge conscious population that constitute the present human society. Library public relations are therefore the planned programme of activities and actions that help in creating a positive and acceptable image, as well as generate and sustain goodwill towards the library as a distinct institution. The place of public relations and how its guiding principles and practices apply in an academic library as a distinct institution in contemporary times, its scope and objectives, the various categories of people that constitute the community of the academic library, and an understanding and appreciation of the role of librarians in this constantly evolving and complex relationship between the academic library and its community form the main focus of this discourse.