ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 5 6 8 / C&RL News Public relations winners celebrate collections, catalogs, services, and more B y E velyn R ich é O livier College a n d sp ecial libraries w in J o h n Cotton D a n a Special A w a rd s T he University of California, Santa Barbara, Library, the Diablo Valley College Library, and the MacNeal Hospital Health Science source Center were three winners of note to college and special librarians in this year’s John Cotton Dana (JCD) Library Public Relations Awards contest. A total of 16 awards for library public rela­ tions, including two J o h n C o tto n D ana Awards and 14 Spe­ cial Awards, were pre­ sen ted at the 1992 American Library As­ sociation Annual Con­ ference in San Fran­ cisco. This prestigious competition, now in its 53rd year, is open to all types of librar­ ies an d is co s p o n ­ sored by the H. W. Wilson Company and An invitation to celebrate the inauguration o f Diablo Valley College’s new library automation system showing “Alice” at the computer. the ALA Library Ad­ ministration and Man­ agement Association. Of the 106 total entries for the 1992 JCD contest, 21 came from col- lege/university or special library categories. Alice in W onderland A Special Award winner, the Diablo Valley Col­ lege (DVC) Library was recognized for its pub­ lic relations program introducing a new online library catalog. An Alice in Wonderland theme was chosen to introduce “ALICE” (Access to Li­ brary Information for College Education), the new system that was so named in a contest sponsored by the DVC Library. This publicly supported community college has approxi­ Rme­ately 24,000 students, a full-time faculty of 300, a part-time faculty of 450, and is located in Pleasant Hill, California, 35 miles east of San Francisco. DVC is one of three colleges in the Contra Costa Community College District and offers the Associate of Arts degree as well as te c h n ic a l-v o c a ­ tional and terminal programs. The goals of the DVC’s winning library public relations cam­ paign w ere to d e ­ velop awareness and name recognition for ALICE, to welcome the system in a joyful and lighthearted at­ mosphere, and to cre­ ate a desire among the students, faculty, and staff to come to the library and use the system. Other measurable objectives were also proposed and included plans to increase the use of the library, to increase the number of bibliographic instruction lectures, and to increase the circulation of library materials. A very successful inaugural event was held during the second week of the 1990 fall semes- Evelyn Riché Olivier is assistant library director f o r a d m in istra tio n a t the University o f Texas Health Science Center, San A n to n io O ctober 1 9 9 2 / 5 6 9 ter featuring costumed students, balloons, ban­ ners, buttons, speakers, a ribbon cutting, a Tea Party, and croquet. Instruction on the use of ALICE was the prominent focus and the varied offerings included workshops for faculty, bib­ liographic instruction orientations, drop-in in­ struction, brochures, instructional guides, orien­ ta tio n s fo r c o lle g e s u p p o r t staff, a n d demonstrations to area librarians and educators. The entire library staff was proud to be in­ volved in a campaign that generated much enthusiasm on the part of the college commu­ nity for the new online catalog and other li­ brary services. Their contest entry noted that this was the first major public relations activity undertaken by the DVC Library in the 40 years of its history. They describe this experience as one in which “the library staff has recognized the continuing benefits of public relations in achieving the goal of effectively serving the stu­ dents, faculty, and staff of the college.” Two million reasons to celebrate The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), Library w on one of the 14 Special Awards given for exceptional public relations efforts that support a special project, goal, or activity from the library’s total public relations program. UCSB launched a week-long series of events during National Library Week, April 15- 19, 1991, to celebrate the acquisition of the library’s two-millionth volume. The major goals of the program w ere to cultivate public involve­ ment in the celebration, to develop a high pro­ file for the library, and to enhance the library’s fundraising efforts. The UCSB Library serves a campus of ap ­ proximately 19,000 students and 1,000 faculty. UCSB is a major research institution and part of the state-supported, nine-campus Univer­ sity o f California system. The Santa Barbara area has a population of about 175,000 and the UCSB Library is the only research library for this area. The public relations program “Two Million Reasons to Celebrate” met its goals by targeting special groups from the university and Santa Barbara communities, increasing press cover­ age of the UCSB Library, and raising funds for the purchase of the 15th-century French Book o f Hours which became the library’s two-mil­ lionth volume. Events hosted during National Library Week included a two-day symposium on Freedom of Information with participation from librarians, journalists, lawyers, and uni­ versity faculty; a lecture by Susan Sontag on “Writer’s Freedom: Literature and Literacy,” a talk for area librarians by Linda Crismond, then executive director of ALA, and the dedication of UCSB’s new online catalog, PEGASUS. The celebration concluded with the public presen­ tation of the two-millionth volume and a re­ ception. A most attractive and original aspect of this project was the use of the Book o f Hours as the two-millionth volume and the symbol for the celebration. The Book o f Hours offered a tan­ gible and interesting focus for the celebration as well as providing exciting visual images. A miniature from the book was used whenever possible for illustrating public relations materi­ als. The slogan “Two Million Reasons to Cel­ ebrate” used with the miniature illustration pro­ vided a strikingly effective graphic identity for the program (see this m onth’s cover). M o r e w in n in g id e a s Need new ideas to promote your library? Consider trying a few of these public rela­ tions activities from past John Cotton Dana contest participants: • sponsor a cultural or ethnic festival that features library materials, staff, and ser­ vices; • revamp and revitalize your library ori­ entation program with a new jazzy video introduction; • host an information literacy program; • feature special library collections with an authors conference or seminar; • raise funds for the library with a ce­ lebrity roast or other special event; • celebrate National Library Week ev­ ery year and be creative; • prom ote without fail a new library building, remodeling project, dedication, or anniversary; • introduce with great fanfare library au­ tomation projects, new services, and collec­ tions; • prepare eye-catching exhibits display­ ing library materials or hot topics of interest; • give your library publications a posi­ tive new graphic identity; For best PR results involve your users and Friends, have a sense of humor, do something fun, and always say thank you! 5 7 0 / C&RL News The success of the celebration was measured by a large and diverse attendance at library programs, extensive publicity enhancing the UCSB Library profile, and fundraising in excess of $35,000. Much of the planning of the w eek’s events involved the Friends of the UCSB Li­ braries, w ho also con­ tributed funds for pro­ ealth duction o f the public H relations materials. Resour The phone is our front door The MacNeal Hospital Health Science Resource Center (HSRC), a special library in Illinois, won an award for the entry MacNeal Hospital’s logo promoting telephone access to the Health Science Resource Center. “The phone is our front door.” The Health Sci­ ence Resource Center was specifically cited “for innovàtively promoting the library’s telephone accessibility to both the medical and general communities.” The HSRC submitted a unique public rela­ tions contest entry based on its need to be perceived as convenient to use, despite its relocation across the street from the hospital in April 1991. Of equal importance was the center’s desire to be valued for its integral role in the achievement of excellence in health care. Located in Berwyn, Illinois, the MacNeal Hospital and its nine satellites are spread throughout eight buildings on several city blocks. The HSRC, which serves the informa­ F e a tu re y o u r collection o n a c o v e r o f C&R L N e w s If you have material in your library’s col­ lections that you think would make an at­ tractive C&RL News cover, please send us a photograph and a brief description of the item and the collection. Photos may be either color or black and white and should be 5" x 7" or 8" x 10". Illustrations with a vertical orientation work best. Materials submitted will become the property of C&RL News and cannot be acknowledged. Send to: C&RL News Covers, 50 E. Huron St., Chi­ cago, IL 606ll. S ce tion needs of the medical and professional staff and the population served by the hospi­ tal, is not conveniently located to any of its users. A major goal of the center’s public relations campaign was to encourage and redirect traffic from walk-in access to ciences p rim a rily te le p h o n e , Center telefacsimile, and m o­dem access. The staff specifically h o p e d to overcome the obstacles of lack of time, inclem­ ent weather, and the psy­ chological barrier of be­ ing th e only hospital … an extension d e p a r tm e n t lo c a te d across a busy intersec­ of your office, tion. After the center’s move the first event held accessible w as an o p e n h o u se by phone. which coincided with the introduction of a new CD Plus Net 1 network. The timing of the event was linked to the arrival of new residents and the monthly meeting of the largest group of physicians. The open house was used to dem­ onstrate new technology, to sign up users for passwords and individualized training, and to show off the new state-of-the-art library facility. Access to the Health Science Resource Cen­ ter by telephone was creatively promoted us­ ing a logo illustrating a telephone with a line going off the page and the accompanying phrase “an extension of your office, accessible by phone.” This identifying symbol was used on all library materials and on 500 coffee mugs which were made up and distributed. The usage statistics provided bear out the success of the HSRC’s public relations pro­ gram. Services are more popular than ever by phone or fax and the ability of users to do their own com puter searches by remote ac­ cess to the new CD Plus System has enhanced the usage of this and other services of the center. M ak e plans to enter now Share your public relations successes by enter­ ing the 1993 John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Awards Contest. Entry packets and contest information are available from the Mar­ keting Department, H. W. Wilson Company, 950 University Avenue, Bronx, NY 10452. The contest deadline is February 1, 1993. ■ A C Q U IS IT IO N PERSPECTIVES 4. We have established a reputation for accuracy in billing and shipping to your specifications. Invoices arranged alphabetically by author or title, or numerically by purchase order, and separate billing available upon request for Grant Funds, Title II, gifts, etc. Book House error rate last year was less than ⅓ percent. Call or Write TODAY Since 1962 JOBBERS SERVING LIBRARIES WITH 1 • 800 • 248 • 1146 ANY BOOK IN PRINT SINCE 19S2 208 WEST CHICAGO STREET JONESVILLE, MICHIGAN 49250 0 I 2 5 FAX: 517 • 849 • 9716