Michelle Crowe

Making the work of IU Libraries visible and valued is the work of the Engagement Division of IU Libraries. It is our responsibility to find the most effective and efficient ways of amplifying the work of library professionals across our many destinations on the Bloomington campus.

We do this through:

• Responsive, low-friction, and high-impact relationships with campus colleagues and external partners 
• Connecting library services and programs to campus priorities and to the students and faculty who need them.
• Nurturing external funding relationships
• Documenting our stories through exciting photography, text, and video
• Helping others tell our stories in blogs, podcasts, websites, newspapers, videos and any other form of media we can activate
• Hosting and promoting small and large-scale gatherings, events, and shenanigans that strategically spotlight library people, collections and places

Michelle brings 25 years of nonprofit communications in her leadership role at IU Libraries, as well as earning an MPA with the Indiana University Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs in 2023.  She has a background in community relations and customer experience planning, with particular strength and experience in library, higher education, healthcare and nonprofit representation. 

Michelle uses her journalism background every day and sees storytelling as an integral part of her work. To effectively increase campus and community appreciation for library services, resources, and partnerships, she is always seeking out unique stories from the many units and experts of IU Libraries.  With its reputation as one of the top academic libraries in the nation, she continually raises the profile of IU Libraries on local and national levels.

At IU Libraries Michelle is a member of the IU Bloomington Libraries 2030 Strategic Plan Steering Committee, the Dean’s delegate for IUHR Volunteer Benefit event coordination, served as a IUB 2030 Working Group member, and was a member of the IU Corp Student Leadership Board during her IU graduate student experience.  She has recently co-published "The Friday Finish: Incentivizing Student Success and Building Partnerships" in the Journal of Advancement, Communication, and Development in Academic Libraries (2025).  The Engagement Division of IU Libraries was responsible for winning a Bronze CASE award in 2024 (an international distinction), and Michelle served as a judge for the 2025 CASE awards.

Michelle is an ardent supporter of public schools, Ellettsville’s Pantry 279, and the Monroe County Public Library (now member of the Friends of the Library Board). She is an AmeriCorps alumni, and alumni of the Gamma Mu chapter of Alpha Chi Omega; a member of Pi Alpha Alpha, the International Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration. She is a proud graduate of Owen Valley High School in Spencer, Indiana.