Applications are open for the 2022 PR Xchange Awards! This competition recognizes the very best public relations materials produced by libraries in the past year. Entries are evaluated on content, originality, and design by a team of experts in public relations, graphic design, communications, and marketing. This competition is unique in the way it evaluates a library’s individual promotional materials, not an entire marketing campaign.
The deadline to apply is April 15.
Selection Criteria
This year’s competition will recognize original materials produced during the 2020 and 2021 calendar years. Entries are evaluated based on content, design, and originality. They are judged by a team of experts in marketing, public relations, graphic design, and communications, who select the winner(s) in each category.
This year’s categories are:
- External Communications (newsletters, calendars, patron orientation materials, email marketing);
- Advocacy / Fundraising / Annual Reports /Strategic Plans;
- Special Events and Exhibits;
- Reading Programs (Summer, or any season);
- Materials promoting collections, services, or resources (booklists, bibliographies, signs, postcards, flyers, swag).
This year we are accepting only electronic submissions for materials that were born digital. We are not accepting print submissions or scans of materials originally created in print format. Examples of electronic submissions can include an online exhibit, a YouTube video, or any web-based promotional item (excluding library websites).
Winners
Winners will be notified in May 2022. Winning entries will be on display during the PR Xchange Event during the 2022 ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. Awards will be presented to the winners at the PR Xchange Awards ceremony following the PR Xchange Event in the same space. Award winners need not be present to win, but are encouraged to attend.
Winners in each category will be selected in the following library operating budget (not promotional campaign budget) divisions.
There are 5 library operating budget categories, so any size library can win an award:
- Under $1 million
- $1 – $5 million
- $5- $10 million
- $10 – $15 million
- $15,000,000+
The PR Xchange Event and the PR Xchange Awards Competition are coordinated by Core’s PR Xchange Committee. Questions can be directed to the Committee’s Co-chairs, Mark Aaron Polger and Naomi Gold, at prxchange.awards@gmail.com. More information can be found in the Awards’ FAQ.
