May 1, 2026 The University at Albany Libraries are proud to share that we received a 2026 ARLIES Award in the Publicity/Marketing category, recognizing excellence in creative and impactful library outreach. The 11th annual ARLIES Film Festival videos were shown at the ARL Spring Association Meeting in Knoxville and live streamed on the ARL YouTube channel. The ARLIES—Association of Research Libraries (ARL) International Engagement Showcase—is a film festival hosted by the Association of Research Libraries, a leading organization representing major research libraries across North America. The festival celebrates innovative video content created by ARL member libraries, highlighting the many ways libraries connect with their communities through storytelling, humor, and digital media.Our award-winning submission was a short, humorous video designed to encourage students to pick up their interlibrary loan materials before long academic breaks. The concept originated with student employees Melody Palmer (Outreach and Marketing Student Assistant) and Sophie Bartlett (Outreach and Marketing Graduate Assistant), who, after conversations with Access Services staff about the number of unclaimed holds, proposed using "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan, widely recognized from emotional ASPCA-style campaigns, as the foundation for the video. Leaning into that familiar tone, the video humorously reframed unpicked-up materials as “neglected,” creating a memorable and shareable call to action.The project was brought to life collaboratively by Amanda Lowe, Outreach & Marketing Librarian, alongside Palmer and Bartlett, who also appeared in the video. The reel saw strong engagement on both Instagram and TikTok, and its recognition at the ARLIES highlights not only the Libraries’ commitment to creative, student-centered outreach, but also the impact of student-driven ideas in shaping meaningful and effective library marketing. Read the Press Release View the Winning Reel Follow @ualbanylibraries on Instagram The project was brought to life collaboratively by Amanda Lowe, Outreach & Marketing Librarian, alongside Palmer and Bartlett, who also appeared in the video. The reel saw strong engagement on both Instagram and TikTok, and its recognition at the ARLIES highlights not only the Libraries’ commitment to creative, student-centered outreach, but also the impact of student-driven ideas in shaping meaningful and effective library marketing. View this post on Instagram A post shared by University at Albany Libraries (@ualbanylibraries)