ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 188 / C &R L News A Special Public Relations Opportunity for Academic Libraries Jo n E ld red g e L ib ra r y D irector Eastern N ew M exico University C lovis C am pu s The Gustavus Adolphus College Library, St. Pe­ ter, Minnesota, has been selected as one of the win­ ners of the 1982 John Cotton Dana Public Relations Award. Four academic libraries participated in the contest this year which had a total of 154 entries. In its brief existence the friends group for the library, the Gustavus L ib ra ry Associates, raised over $400,000 toward building a library endowment of more than $1 million. The endowment was created to build the library’s collection and to help qualify the college for gaining a Phi Beta Kappa chapter on campus. The John Cotton D ana Public Relations Award grants recognition to those libraries that have ex­ hibited excellence in their public relations activities during the past year. All sizes and types of libraries, media and information centers are eligible to enter the contest. All entries are reviewed by a commit­ tee of public relations experts representing many different types of libraries.1 Normally the commit­ tee includes at least one academic librarian. Each year the committee examines approximately 150 entrants, selects the winner, and designates the re­ cipient of special awards. The committee makes its decisions on the basis of the public relations activi­ ties of participating libraries rather than on the ba­ sis of just the publicity component of these activi­ ties. T h e H .W . W ilson Com pany and ALA’s Library Administration and Management Associa­ tion have jointly sponsored the award since 1946. The contest was established at that time to honor the career of John Cotton Dana (1856-1959), a vig­ orous advocate of library public relations. In recent years academic librarians have become increasingly aware of the important role played by public relations in the process of effective library management. Many academic librarians would probably find that Dana’s philosophy on public re­ lations closely resembles their own views on the subject. Yet in his time, D ana’s philosophy was not always respected by his peers in the profession. D ana was a great innovator in librarianship at the turn of the century, but his unique contribution to the field was his insistence upon the importance of library promotion. In 1910 he used a billboard to encourage use of the Denver Public Library. The The committee consists of members of the Pub­ lic Relations Section of ALA’s Library Administra­ tion and Management Association (LAMA). use of the billboard shocked a number of librarians, since up until that time no one had really “adver­ tised” libraries.2 During his busy career D ana served as ALA pres­ ident and was one of the principal founders of the Special Library Association. He was a public li­ brarian during most of his career. His involvement with public libraries may in part explain why the number of entries from public libraries in the John C otton D an a P u blic R elation s Award contest dwarfs the number of entries from academic li­ braries. Only four academic libraries entered the contest in 1982 and only five entered in 1981. In those same years, there were 76 and 57 entries re­ spectively from public libraries. For whatever reason, it seems unfortunate that the library profession perceives the contest to be a public library activity when all libraries are eligi­ ble to compete. When they have entered the con­ test, academic libraries have done well in acquir­ ing aw ards— since 1970 twenty-tw o academ ic libraries have been recognized by the awards com­ mittee, and five of these were award winners. T here are two distinct categories of awards made by the judging committee: the winners and the special awards. Winners are honored for an overall library public relations program which has consistently followed a single theme over the course of a calendar year. About four of these awards are selected from all entries submitted to each contest. This category takes into consideration all activities, budget expenditures, and planning connected with a year-long public relations effort. One of the 1981 award winners, the J . Paul Leonard Library at San Francisco State Univer­ sity, directed its program toward the education of library users about a new automated circulation system. Focusing on a zebra theme to represent the new bar code identification system, the library hung large, colorful banners at the entrance to the bu ilding and carried out a series of carefu lly planned activities both inside the lib rary and around campus during the year. The program was very successful in introducing the new system to the campus community. The University of Texas Library won an award for its comprehensive set of publications intended to promote the library in 1977. The preceding year the University of Utah Library won an award for its effective and creatively produced student orien­ tation program. Peggy Barber, “Public Relations,” in the ALA W orld E n cy clo p ed ia o f L ib ra r y an d In fo rm ation Services (Chicago: American Librarv Association, 1980), p .460. June 1983 / 189 T h e F o lk e B ern ad o tte M em orial L ib ra ry , Gustaυus A dolphu s C ollege, St. P eter, M innesota, 1982 Joh n C otton D an a Public R elations A w ard winner. The John Cotton Dana Public Relations Award also involves a number of special awards each year. The judging committee selects 16-24 awards in this category for each contest. The majority of aca­ demic libraries receiving awards in the past decade have done so in this category. Special awards give recognition to single public relations projects which meet with great success in achieving a planned goal. In this categ ory the Gustavus Adolphus College Library (also a 1982 award win­ ner) won a special award for its fund-raising efforts in 1978 aimed at increasing library acquisitions. In 1979 the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Library also received a special award for its technically sophisticated videotape orientation project that made use of special visual effects. Other recipients of special awards in past years have been the University of Houston Library in 1970 for its high-q u ality p ublication s which brought special attention to a collection of rare books; the University of Denver Library for its fo­ cus on a library exhibit on Native Americans in 1975; and the Allegany Community College L i­ brary, Cumberland, Maryland, for its 1976 pro­ motion of a local oral history project. No guarantee exists that an academic library will receive either type of award for any particular year. In both 1969 and 1980, for example, no award was presented to an academic library. In contrast, the 1975 award decisions produced two award winners and three special awards for aca­ demic libraries. On the average, the judging com­ mittee receives very few academic entries each year. In 1982 only 3 % of the total entries submitted came from academic libraries. In the past, entries to the contest for both catego­ ries have usually consisted of a scrapbook contain­ ing photographs, newspaper clippings, library brochures, and other relevant material pertaining to the library’s public relations project. A growing number of entries are supplemented by or made up entirely of nonprint materials such as videotape. Darrel Hildebrandt, who has chaired the John Cotton Dana Award Committee for the past two years, estimates that 20% of the entries in recent years have included nonprint formats. As a matter of fact, three of the five entries from academic li­ braries in 1981 consisted of nonprint materials. In judging the contest, the committee pays spe­ cial attention to the quality rather than the quan­ tity of materials submitted. Committee member Dale Carrison thinks libraries should not be con­ cerned about spending large amounts of money on production of programs or projects. The Dyke Col­ lege Library, Cleveland, won an award in 1971 specifically because it had few financial or person­ nel resources available to allocate in what turned out to be a very successful public relations pro­ gram. In addition to quality, the committee con­ siders the amount of creativity reflected by entries 190 / C &R L News to b e a n im p o r ta n t f a c to r in s e le c tin g a w a r d r e c ip i­ en ts. T h e c o m m itte e looks fo r s p e c ific , m e a s u ra b le o u tco m e s th a t c a n b e a ttr ib u te d to th e success o f th e p a r t ic ip a t in g lib r a r ie s ’ p u b lic re la tio n s a c tiv i­ tie s. L ib r a r ie s n e e d to c le a r ly d e m o n s tra te h o w th e y e v a lu a te d t h e su ccess o f t h e ir p r o g r a m in re a c h in g go a ls a n d o b je c tiv e s . T h e a m o u n t o f c a r e a n d tim e d e v o te d to t h e p la n n in g p ro cess also ra n k s as a n im p o r ta n t c o n s id e ra tio n . E n tr ie s sh o u ld p os­ sess a n o rg a n iz e d , c le a r p re s e n ta tio n o f th e th e m e o f th e p u b lic r e la tio n s p ro g ra m o r p r o je c t. F in a lly , e n trie s sh o u ld r e la t e to re c e n t a c tiv itie s . A n i n f o r m a tio n b r o c h u r e a n d a n a p p lic a tio n fo rm c a n b e o b ta in e d fro m P a t r i c i a S a b o s ik , D ir e c ­ to r o f M a r k e tin g S e rv ic e s , H .W . W ils o n C o m p a n y , 9 5 0 U n iv e rs ity A v en u e, B r o n x , N Y 1 0 4 5 2 . T h e b r o ­ c h u re o u tlin e s so m e o f th e b a s ic gu id elin es fo r e n ­ te r i n g th e c o n te s t. T h e n e x t d e a d lin e f o r e n tr y fo r m s is J a n u a r y 3 , 1 9 8 4 , a n d th e d e a d lin e fo r s c ra p b o o k s a n d n o n p r in t m a te r ia ls is F e b r u a r y 6 , 1 9 8 4 . S c ra p b o o k s a n d n o n p r in t e n trie s fo r w in n ers o f b o th c a te g o rie s o f th e a w a r d a r e o n d isp la y in th e e x h ib it a r e a a t A L A A n n u a l C o n fe r e n c e . T h e sa m e m a te r ia ls a r e a v a ila b le fo r tw o yea rs a ft e r th e a n ­ n o u n c e m e n t o f a w a r d w in n e rs v ia in t e r li b r a r y lo a n fro m A L A H e a d q u a rte rs L ib r a r y . A c a d e m ic lib ra rie s in v o lv ed w ith p u b lic r e la ­ tio n s a c tiv itie s w h ic h th e y b e lie v e to b e e x c itin g a n d w e ll m a n a g e d sh o u ld c e r t a in ly c o n sid er e n te r ­ in g th e J o h n C o tto n D a n a P u b lic R e la tio n s A w a rd c o n te s t. I n lo o k in g b a c k o n th e p e r fo r m a n c e o f a c a ­ d e m ic l ib r a r ie s t h a t h a v e secu red a w a rd s a n d c o m ­ p a r in g it to th e re la tiv e ly sm a ll n u m b e r o f a c a ­ d e m ic e n tr ie s s u b m itt e d , c o lle g e a n d u n iv e rs ity lib r a r ia n s m a y w e ll w ish to ta k e a d v a n ta g e o f th is s p e c ia l o p p o r t u n i t y f o r o u r a r e a o f l i b r a r i a n - sh ip . ■ ■ DOUGHERTY NAMED LIBRARIAN O F TH E YEAR R ic h a r d M . D o u g h e r ty , d ir e c to r o f th e lib r a r y a t th e U n iv ersity o f M ic h ig a n , A n n A rb o r , h as b e e n a w a r d e d th e A C R L A c a d e m ic o r R e s e a r c h L i b r a r ­ ia n o f th e Y e a r A w a rd fo r 1 9 8 3 . T h e A s s o c ia ­ tio n o f C o lle g e a n d R e ­ s e a rch L ib r a r ie s a n d th e B a k e r & T a y l o r C o m ­ p a n y w i l l p r e s e n t t h e a w a r d to D o u g h e r ty on J u n e 2 7 a t th e A C R L r e ­ c e p tio n a t A n n u a l C o n ­ fe re n c e in L o s A n geles. T h e a w a r d c i t e s D o u g h e r t y f o r h is i n ­ v o lv e m e n t in th e e d itin g o f p ro fessio n a l jo u rn a ls , R ic h a r d M . D o u g h er ty e s p e c i a l l y C o l l e g e & R e s e a r c h L i b r a r i e s ( 1 9 6 9 - 1 9 7 4 ) a n d th e J o u r n a l o f A c a d e m ic L i b r a r i ­ a n sh ip (sin ce 1 9 7 5 ), b u t also in c lu d in g L ib r a r y R e ­ s o u r c e s a n d T e c h n i c a l S e r v i c e s , t h e L i b r a r y - C o l l e g e J o u r n a l , a n d t h e J o u r n a l o f L i b r a r y A u to m a tio n . D o u g h e r ty w a s also c ite d f o r h is a c h ie v e m e n ts as a l ib r a r y a d m in is tra to r a t th e U n iv ersity o f M ic h i­ g a n , th e U n iv ersity o f C a lifo r n ia , B e rk e le y , an d th e U n iv ersity o f C o lo ra d o . “ In a sh o rt sp a n o f t i m e ,” th e c ita tio n re a d s , “ R ic h a r d M . D o u g h e r ty , lib r a r y a d m in is tra to r, e d ito r, a n d e d u c a to r, has le ft his m a rk o n a c a d e m ic lib r a r ia n s h ip an d th e l i ­ b ra r y p ro fessio n th ro u g h his p r o lific w r itin g s , a b le a d m in is tr a t io n a n d c o m m itt e d p ro fe s s io n a l i n ­ v o lv e m e n ts .” A n es p e cia lly n o te w o rth y a c c o m p lis h m e n t w as a t B e rk e le y , w h e r e h e p la y e d a le a d in g r o le in a c o ­ o p e r a tiv e p ro g ra m to m a k e th e reso u rces o f th e re ­ s e a r c h lib ra rie s a t U C -B e r k e le y a n d S ta n fo r d U n i­ v e r s i t y a v a i l a b l e to t h e f a c u l t y a n d g r a d u a t e stu d e n ts o f b o th in s titu tio n s . D o u g h e r ty ’s p u b lic a tio n s in c lu d e fiv e m o n o ­ g ra p h s , tw o o f th e m o st r e c e n t b e in g th e w id ely c ite d I m p r o v in g A c c e ss to L i b r a r y R e s o u r c e s a n d a s e c o n d e d itio n o f S c ie n t ific M a n a g e m e n t o f L i ­ b r a r y O p e r a t i o n s , c o - a u t h o r e d w i t h F r e d J . H e in ritz . T h e w id e ra n g e o f h is a r tic le s , re p o rts , e d ito ria ls a n d rev iew s is in d ic a tiv e o f D o u g h e r ty ’s in te lle c tu a l c a p a c ity a n d v a r ie ty o f in te re sts in th e l ib r a r y p ro fessio n . T h e re c ip ie n t o f t h e E s th e r J . P ie rc y A w a rd an d a fe llo w s h ip fr o m t h e C o u n c i l o n L i b r a r y R e ­ s o u rces, D o u g h e r ty h as also fo u n d tim e to te a c h fu ­ tu r e l ib r a r ia n s a t seven l ib r a r y scho o ls. H e h a s also served o n th e A m e r ic a n L ib r a r y A sso c ia tio n ’s E x ­ e c u tiv e B o a r d , A L A C o u n c il, th e B o a r d o f D ir e c ­ to rs o f th e A s so cia tio n o f R e s e a rc h L ib r a r ie s , an d h a s b e e n a n a c tiv e m e m b e r o f A C R L . T h e A C R L A c a d e m ic o r R e s e a r c h L i b r a r i a n o f th e Y e a r A w a rd w a s e s ta b lish e d b y A C R L a n d th e B a k e r & T a y lo r C o m p a n y to re co g n iz e in d iv id u a l m e m b e rs o f th e lib r a r y p ro fessio n w h o h a v e m a d e o u ts ta n d in g n a tio n a l o r i n t e r n a t io n a l c o n t r i b u ­ tio n s to a c a d e m ic o r re s e a rc h lib r a r ia n s h ip a n d l i ­ b ra r y d e v e lo p m e n t. T h e a w a r d consists o f $ 2 ,0 0 0 a n d a c ita tio n . R e c ip ie n ts o f th e a w a r d s in ce its in c e p tio n in 1 9 7 8 h a v e b e e n : K eyes D . M e t c a lf a n d R o b e r t B . D o w n s (1 9 7 8 ) ; H e n rie tte D . A v ra m a n d F r e d e r ic k G . K ilg o u r (1 9 7 9 ) ; E v a n I . F ä r b e r ( 1 9 8 0 ) ; B e v e rly P . L y n c h ( 1 9 8 1 ) ; a n d W illia m S to n e B u d in g to n (1 9 8 2 ) . ■ ■