Public Relations Activities in an Academic Library: The Roles of the Reference Librarian

Library Public relations include ongoing activities to ensure the library has a strong public image. Public relations activities as they relate to the roles of the reference librarian in an academic library are discussed. The role of the reference librarian as the public relation officer of his or her library in fulfilling the objectives of the library and the institution are discussed. Great public relations can substantially accelerate library’s development cycle, increase users’ awareness and help promote rapid growth. Harnessing this power can be a great boost-if it is done with clear objectives by the reference librarian as discussed in this work. The importance of public relations in an academic library as well as public relations methods are also discussed in this work. This discussion highlights the function of a public relation officer in relation to the function of a reference librarian and the effect of professional variables of reference librarian on his/her job performance which will affect the library in a positive way and create a good image for the library.