NMSU Library Wins National Library Publicity Award
Date: 2001
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jeanette Smith, NMSU Library, (575) 646-7492, jcsmith@lib.nmsu.edu
The NMSU Library is among nine national winners of the John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations
Award, the most prestigious award of the American Library Association, which recognizes and honors
outstanding achievement in library public relations. The award was announced on January 13 at the midwinter
meeting of the American Library Association in Washington, D.C.
In recognizing the winning library organizations, Caroline Oyama, chair of the John Cotton Dana award
committee, said, “This was an exciting year with a very wide range of libraries entering. The entries depicted
public relations programs reaching out to many diverse populations and interests. The committee
was extremely pleased to see the overall strength of the entries, as well as a significantly greater number of
submissions.”
Dr. Elizabeth Titus, Dean of the Library, said,” We are delighted that NMSU has received this prestigious
national award. It reflects upon the outstanding library staff and their contributions to the university community.”
The NMSU Library won in the academic libraries category for its “Dino-mite” campaign, which capitalized
on the public relations power of the dinosaur skull “Stan,” the most popular attraction on campus, by
celebrating a $3 million library naming gift and honoring the donors, Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Zuhl. The
campaign was conducted and the application prepared by library Grants and University Relations Officer
Jeanette Smith.
Other winners included the Bellingham, Washington, Public Library for its “Catch ‘em Reading Photo
Contest”; Denver Public Library for mounting an energetic and effective pre-emptive public relations
strategy towards an expose on “Dr. Laura” Schlessinger’s television show, in which the library was targeted;
Dr. Eugene Clark Library in Lockhart, Texas, for “Up on the Roof with the Loony Librarian,” in which a
librarian camped on the library’s dome for a week to raise funds for renovations to the library; King County
Library System in Issaquah, Washington, for their updated visual identity featuring a new branding mark and
a focused strategic marketing effort that encouraged their community to “Turn to Us”; the Metropolitan
School District of Washington Township, Indiana, for its “Once Upon a Millennium” community party;
Phoenix Public Library for “Read Your Way to the Ballpark”; and the West Bloomfield Township Public
Library, Michigan, for “Score Big With Books: They’ll Score Big With You.”
The John Cotton Dana Award is sponsored by the H.W. Wilson Company of Bronx, New York, a publisher
of library materials, and the Library Administration and Management Association (LAMA), a division
of the American Library Association (ALA). H.W. Wilson and LAMA have jointly sponsored the awards
since 1946. The winning entries will be on display at the John Cotton Dana Award booth in the exhibit area
during the annual ALA Conference, June 14-20, 2001, in San Francisco. The awards will be presented to
winners at a reception held during the conference.
The American Library Association, with over 61,000 members, is the oldest and largest library association
in the world, with members in academic, public, school, government and special libraries. It provides
leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information services and the
profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all. For more
information, contact Jeanette Smith at 646-7492.
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