ACRL College & Research Libraries News

Association of College & Research Libraries

Award-winning PR supports colleges' missions

Connie Vinita Dowell is college librarian at Connecticut College and a John Cotton Dana Award judge; e-mail: cvdow@dsys.cc.conncoll.edu

The College of William and Mary (Williams- burg, Virginia) and Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, Minnesota) won 1994 John Cot- ton Dana Public Relations Special Awards for effective PR programs that advanced the librar- ies’ leadership roles in furthering their colleges’ missions.

At William and Mary, the library wanted to be a leader in the college’s tercentenary cel- ebration and to foster staff involvement in it. “A 3OOth anniversary comes along but once in the lifetime of an institution. Our college’s tercentenary was a year-long, campus- wide celebration of this second oldest in- stitution of higher edu- cation in the U.S. Our library had the oppor- tunity to become inti- mately involved in the planning for the cel- ebration, both with an internal committee and as part of the campuswide steering committee,” said Nancy H. Marshall, dean of libraries.

Their John Cotton Dana Special Award recognized the library “for contributing to the educational and cultural enrichment of the college’s 300th anniversary by promoting innovative programs throughout the year involving the community and furthering the university’s tradition of public service.”

The logo used to promote the Royal Affair fundraiser at Gustavus Adolphus College.

With thousands of individuals participating in more than 30 activities, the year-long cel- ebration offered something for everyone: schol- ars, alumni, students, retired citizens, staff, and the general public. These programs included a monumental exhibit of the college’s history, alumna and movie star Glenn Close donating her papers and signing her ALA READ poster, and a seminar on Scholarly Humanities Com- munication in the Electronic Age. In addition, the library was also the chosen venue for many campuswide events planned by other depart- ments of the college.

The outcome, according to Marshall, was a higher profile on campus for the library and more exposure than usual. Most of the library’s ideas, activities, and events were the result of teamwork. The many interesting and multiple initiatives taken by the library and the enthusiasm and extra efforts of the library staff were the most important factors in the program’s suc- cess. Approximately $29,000 was raised by the library in connection with the tercentenary celebration.

Gustavus Adolphus College, named after the Swedish king, has close ties to Sweden as does its library, Folke Bernadotte Memorial, named after the Swedish diplomat who was assassinated while on a peace mission to Palestine in 1947. One of the college’s major programs is a Nobel Conference, an annual gathering of scientists including Nobel laureates. The library’s major public relations goal for 1993-94 was to highlight the college and the library’s ties to Sweden and the Nobel Foundation through the establishment of a library endowment to acquire a collection by and about Nobel literature laureates.

Glenn Close and Nancy Marshall pose with the autographed ALA READ poster at ceremonies marking the 300th anniversary of the College of William and Mary.

Their Special John Cotton Dana Award was “for their ‘Building Bridges’ campaign, a smorgasbord of events for the entire college and community and support of the library’s intellectual bond with Sweden and the Nobel Foundation through a campaign to establish a library endowment.”

The Gustavus Library Associates (GLA) sponsored a major fundraising event, The Royal Affair, which had both a holiday and Swedish flair. By raising about $130,000, this successful program was a model of cooperation between this Friends group, the Development Office and the library. “It raised money so that the library could more successfully support the liberal arts curriculum as well as exemplify a theme—the Swedish connection to the college,” stated college librarian Michael Haeuser.

“The Royal Affair has a very profound effect with regard to the library’s relationship with the college administration,” noted Haeuser. “For example, the executive director of the GLA is on the staff of the college Development Office. Hence the planning for fundraising for the library becomes an all-college fundraising event carried out by the Library Associates and the Development Office on behalf of the library.”

Haeuser credits the success of the affair to the energy of the Friends group—the GLA—its loyalty to the college and the library, the excellent advance publicity given the event, the cooperation and support of the Development Office, and the clear expression of support given by many people who support the college and the library. “To sum it up briefly, an organization has to be created with a clear set of goals, support of the central administration, and the ability to have fun while working for a good cause,” he said.