ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

From Inside the DLP

By Dr. Katharine M. Stokes

College and University Library Specialist, Training and Resources Branch, Division of Library Programs, Bureau of Libraries and Educational Technology, U.S. Office of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202.

In the annual report of a library in the Southeast I found an account of just the sort of impact we hope federal funds can make on a campus. Quoting from the report:

What started out to be one of the gloomy spots of the year turned around and became one of the high points of the year. I am speaking of the drive to secure funds to meet maintenance of effort for the library’s federal grant application. It was evident early in the fiscal year that the library budget would fall some $9,500 short in meeting maintenance of effort requirements. As the deadline approached a gift of $5,000 from the Guaranty Banks through the . . . alumni Foundation gave us hopes that the requirement would be met. Four days prior to the deadline a drive to secure the additional $4,500 was started by the student government association, friends of the library, and interested faculty and students. The response was overwhelming. Contributions came from students, faculty, and organizations on campus. Contributions also came from individuals, service clubs, and businesses from . . . the surrounding area. The contributions made it possible for the library to qualify for a grant of $7,023 for fiscal 1970-71. I think this crash program brought knowledge to those who had been apathetic before as to the financial condition of the university as a whole and the library in particular. The publicity we received and the response made toward the library was most gratifying.

The librarian of this university demonstrated perfectly the way federal “seed money” can be used to produce improved nonfederal support. His report shows that he makes good use of all parts of the Title II-A (Higher Education Act) college library resources program. The maintenance of effort project made the library eligible to receive basic and supplemental grants in 1970, the only types available this year. The previous year, however, the library was a member of a consortium of eight libraries from two neighboring states which obtained a Title II-A Special Purpose Type C grant for the purchase of microfilm research materials to be centrally cataloged and stored for joint use. None of these materials would be used constantly on each campus, but all of them will be ready to meet sudden needs of faculty or graduate students, easily and quickly available by interlibrary loan.

The librarian writing the report also describes his experience as a participant in an institute on library automation in his state, funded by Title II-B (Higher Education Act).

While he does not mention the titles for these federal projects we can identify them by matching our records to his accounts. It’s with real pleasure that we find such encouraging news of how federal grants have aided libraries and librarians. ■ ■