Call him a library communications guru. Call him a manager of communications and public relations. Just don’t call him a librarian.

Call him Mike Hooper, communications manager for the Harold B. Lee Library. His is the difficult task of ensuring library patrons know and utilize the multitude of resources offered there.

The idea of promotions and media relations might seem foreign to an environment not especially known for its gregariousness. But the need, according to Hooper, is particularly great for the college library ranked No. 1 by the Princeton Review.

“We are the center of campus, literally and figuratively,” Hooper said. “A lot of students from all disciplines congregate here to do research, so we want to let them know what they have at their disposal, what kind of research help they’ll receive from subject librarians about the resources we have in the library.”

To educate patrons, the primary focus of the library involves promoting available resources to alumni, donors, students and members of the LDS church, Hooper said. To accomplish this, Hooper employs a number of in-house and out-of-house tactics.

Through the use of student graphic designers and others, Hooper is able to create a variety of posters, brochures, video programming and advertisements that can be seen throughout the library.

Via press releases, advertisements and the use of media contacts, the library communicates its message to the rest of the world, Hooper said. As a result of these efforts, the library received media coverage for being named the best college library by the 2004 Princeton Review.

According to the library Web site, there are over 6 million items in the various collections available to students. But to do research, Hooper said, many students rely exclusively on the Internet. More and more professors and librarians tell students they cannot find everything online, he said.

“We still are people driven, and a lot of people say, ‘I don’t need a librarian, I don’t need a parent, I don’t need a teacher, I can go online and look at it,’” Hooper said. “But to be able to sort that out, and find out how to best do the most in-depth research, librarians are still the best.”

Hooper’s talent and creativity have been a tremendous boon in informing library patrons of the services offered, said Julene Butler, associate university librarian.

“He brings tremendous energy and enthusiasm,” Butler said. “He’s so eager to share our story, and in addition to that he’s tremendously creative. He can take an idea and turn it into something that is eye-catching, attention getting and very, very positive. It’s hard to imagine that we ever got along without him.”



Copyright Brigham Young University 10 May 2005