ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries February 1992 /1 2 7 and th e R e v e re n d Jo h n B ach m an n (1854), given by H arold A nderson. • T h e H istory o f M edicine an d H isto ry o f Nutrition C ollections at Vanderbilt University Medical C e n te r’s L ib rary have acq u ire d Fasting Girls; T h eir Physiology a n d Pathology (1879), a scarce w o rk on anorexia an d th e physiology o f starvation w ritte n by W illiam A. H am m o n d , M .D ., surgeon-general o f th e U nion Army, 1862-1864. A rare B ritish cookbook by Jo h n A rm strong en titled , The Y o ung W o m a n ’s G u id e to V irtue, E co n o m y a n d Happiness (1806) was also acq u ired . T h e 680-page household encyclopedia contains 200 pages o f reci­ pes, “rules fo r secu rin g h e alth ,” “rules o f n u rsing and e d u catin g c h ild ren ,” “a h istory o f th e w ork,” “direction fo r w riting le tte rs,” “m em oirs o f illustri­ ous fem ales,” a n d a “history o f w o m en in d ifferen t ages a n d c o u n trie s.” Grants & gifts • T h e N ational E ndow m ent for the H u­ m a n itie s (N E H ) aw ard ed nearly $13.1 million in C hallenge G ran ts to 26 edu catio n al a n d cultural in stitutions lo cated in 15 states a n d th e D istrict o f Colum bia. R ecipients o f N E H challenge grants m ust gen erate th re e o r som etim es fo u r dollars for each dollar p rovided by th e endow m ent. In all, nearly $40.6 million in non-federal m atching funds will be g e n erated by th e awards, bringing th e total a m ount o f su p p o rt p rovided to $53.7 million. A cademic institutions receiving th e challenge grants include: • Amherst C ollege receiv ed $500,000 to su p p o rt th e renovation an d expansion o f th e college’s R o b ert F ro st L ib rary by providing space to accom ­ m o d ate a grow ing collection o f books an d m an u ­ scripts in th e hum an ities, in cluding a C e n te r for R ussian C u ltu re . Plans p ro p o se d fo r th e library p ro je c t also in clu d e a n e w m ed ia c e n te r a n d an array o f expan d ed re fe re n c e technologies. • Bard C ollege, A n n andale-on-H udson, N ew York, receiv ed $500,000 to su p p o rt th e c o n ­ stru ctio n a n d fu rn ish in g o f a library addition a n d th e creatio n o f a n e n d o w m en t for library acquisitions in th e hum anities. • D eP aul University, C hicago, received $500,000 to c o n trib u te to th e co n stru ctio n o f a new $25 m illion library on its L incoln Park C am pus an d to c re ate a n e n d o w m en t fu n d to su p p o rt acquisi­ tions in th e h um an ities. T h e challenge g ra n t is th e (C ont. on page 130) Media tips: How to get speaking opportunities I th in k th a t talking to n o n -librarians ab o u t w hat we do is im p o rtan t an d re c en tly I le a rn e d m ore about how to do th at. T h e p re sid en ts an d vice- p residents o f th e ALA divisions receiv ed m edia training as p a rt o f th e ALA W o rld Book Award 1991-92. I t was terrific! In th e next several issues o f C‹bEL N ew s I ’d like to sh are som e o f th e very practical “how to ” suggestions th a t w e re co v ered in th e training, su ch as “G e ttin g y o u r m essage across” and “W h at to do w h en th e m ed ia calls.” I h o p e you will fin d th e m usefu l as you g e t m essages ab out librarians o u t in yo u r com m unity.— A n n e Beaubien, A C R L President 1. B e proactive. D o n ’t w ait for a n invitation. 2. Identify potential au d iences. W h ere d o you n e ed to sp eak to b e su re th a t y o u r m essage reaches th e largest possible a u d ie n ce ? W ho n e ed s to h e ar ab out librarians an d lib rary issues in o rd e r to take advantage o f yo u r services an d , m ost im portantly, su p p o rt y o u r cam paign? R each o u t to diverse au diences— faculty an d stu d en ts, b u siness an d professional associations, legislators, p a re n ts, sen io r citizens, m inorities, th e econom ically disadvantaged, a n d physically ch al­ le n g ed t o n am e only a few. R e m e m b e r to include g atherings o f p u b lic policy officials, a city council o r state legislative p an el, n ew sp a p e r e d ito rial boards, local p re ss clubs. 3. Make a list. P u t to g e th e r a m ailing list w ith th e n am es, ad d resses a n d te le p h o n e n u m b e rs o f p ro ­ g ram officers for g roups you w ish to address. Your lib rary m ay already have su ch a directo ry — i f not, s tart one. 4. Send a letter. Briefly explain w h at it is you wish to discuss, w hy th e to p ic will be o f in te re s t to th e ir m em b ers a n d if th e re is any u rg en cy involved. “Physicians a re d e p e n d e n t on th e la te st in form a­ tio n to solve m edical m ysteries. L ibrarians w ork daily to e n su re th a t inform ation is available an d affordable, b u t th e re are challenges to o u r ability to c o n tin u e to e n su re th a t access. I w ould a p p reciate an o p p o rtu n ity to explain to y o u r m e m b e rs w h at is a t risk a n d how w e m ig h t w o rk to g e th e r to solve this loom ing p ro b le m .” 5. M ake follow -up calls. P ersonal co n ta ct can m ake th e differen ce. Ask w h e th e r y o u r le tte r was received, i f th e re are questions. Is th e re a n o th e r to p ic th a t w ould b e o f m o re in te re s t to th e ir m e m ­ b e rs? 6. D o a great jo b an d th e y ’ll ask you again, an d re c o m m e n d y o u to o th ers. ■ ■