ASHLAND — Four Ashland University students are taking part in the 2025 Public
Relations Student Society of America’s (PRSSA) Bateman Case Study Competition.

This semester, members of the Ashland University’s PRSSA chapter Mikayla Alcantar, Dana
Krukovska, Katelyn Meeks and Maksym Polianskyi are developing a public relations campaign on behalf of EveryLibrary.

EveryLibrary is an advocacy organization dedicated to supporting public libraries nationwide. The Ashland University’s Bateman team seeks to strengthen and diversify EveryLibrary’ grassroots base by reaching out to rural communities like Ashland and college campuses like Ashland University.

The team’s messages focus on the role public libraries play in small towns across the country, where the local library is more than just books. It provides free services such as technology access, job search assistance, tax preparation help, craft meetups and educational workshops for all ages. It documents and preserves the community’s history. It serves as a community’s gathering place.

“A library is more than just books. Of course, literature, movies, computers—we offer all of that. But a library is also a concept of a third space: We have our homes as one place, we have our work as another place and the third place is where you go without being charged but still participating in the community life,” said Sandra Hedlund Tunnell, the current president of the Ashland Public Library’s Board of Trustees.

“That’s what a library is, a gathering community spot that doesn’t require anything from you besides your participation!”

The Bateman team is creating multimedia content and implementing strategies to engage the Ashland community and fellow Ashland University students in grassroots advocacy for public funding and access to libraries.

Follow Ashland University’s Bateman campaign on Facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572923556563 and Instagram: instagram.com/aueverylibrary/. Support the student PR campaign by filling out the form on the website: ashlandprssa.org/support.

About the Bateman Case Study Competition

Established in 1973 and named in honor a prominent public relations practitioner J. Carroll
Bateman, the Bateman Case Study Competition challenges teams of students to research, plan, implement and evaluate a public relations campaign for an actual client.

More than 75 teams enter the competition each year, giving students real-world experience. After an extensive judging process, three finalists are chosen to present their campaigns to the sponsor, who receives the right to ideas presented.

About Public Relations Student Society of America

The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) is the foremost organization for
students interested in public relations and communications.

With more than 300 chapters worldwide, PRSSA provides networking opportunities, career development, and real-world experience through competitions like the Bateman Case Study Competition. To learn about the organization, visit: https://www.prsa.org/prssa/about-prssa.

About EveryLibrary

EveryLibrary is the first and only national political action committee dedicated to supporting libraries at the ballot box. Since its founding in 2012, the organization has worked to build voter support, secure funding, and advocate for public, school, and academic libraries across the United States. To learn more, visit: https://www.everylibrary.org/.