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Northwest Libraries Win Two Public Relations Awards at 2025 Mississippi Library Association

by Sarah Smith

Senatobia, MS (10/28/2025) — Northwest Mississippi Community College Libraries accepted two public relations awards at the Mississippi Library Association Conference Oct. 16-17 in Hattiesburg.

Northwest Librarian, Courtney Hicks accepted on behalf of DeSoto Center for Best Effort by an Academic Library to Publicize Library Service or Program Around a Single Theme or Event on behalf of their year-long campaign "Research Ready Rangers." This campaign was hosted on the DeSoto campus and was executed through a series of events to help students build their research skills. These programs included: Research Showcase, research pop-ups, research-themed escape rooms, Ice Cream with Your Librarian, and Research Power Hours.

"These activities taught students how to use library databases, generate effective keywords, find credible sources, and strengthen their research strategies-all while highlighting the library as the campus hub for research support," said Hicks.

Northwest Libraries also won Best Year-Round Effort by an Academic Library to Publicize Library Services in General. This was due to their efforts creating a short-form video series promoting library resources and services across all campuses. This includes but isn't limited to research help, technology, study spaces, makerspace tools, and their archives.

The conference's theme this year was "2025 MLA Conference: Guardians of Knowledge: Defending Libraries in Challenging Times" and was held at the Hattiesburg Convention Center.

"We are honored to receive these PR awards recognizing our library's marketing and outreach efforts," said Hicks. "Sharing the library's resources and teaching students about research in creative ways is something we truly love, and this recognition inspires us to keep finding new ways to connect, educate, and support our students, faculty, and staff."

To learn more about Northwest Libraries and resources available to you, please visit https://www.northwestms.edu/l/current-students/library

Media Attachments

Northwest librarians with their awards (L-R) Crystal Giles, Courtney Hicks, Shelby Rosa, Maya Berry, and Director of Learning Resources Dr. Melissa Wright at the conference. Photo courtesy of Northwest Libraries

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