Though the core mission of a university library--to provide essential support for teaching and research remains unchanged--the library cannot escape budgetary constraints. It has to compete for resources with other departments and programs in the university. Times are hard, with some states currently reporting unprecedented budget deficits with more tough times ahead. For this and other reasons, some university and academic libraries have thought about public relations (PR) as a useful way to promote themselves and their resources. The articles in this column address the use of marketing and branding initiatives in academic and university libraries as part of a PR campaign to highlight the value--or to shape the story--of the library as it relates to its users and the mission of the parent institution.