Developing Skills in Planning Humanities-Based Library Programs. Proceedings of an Institute (Austin, Texas, October 11-18, 1975)

DOCUMENT RESUME ED' 125 647 95 IR 003 737 AUTHOR O'Donnell, Peggy, Ed. TITLE Developing Skills in Planning Humanities-Based Library Programs. Proceedings of an Institute (Austin, Texas, October 1118, 1975). INSTITUTION Southwestern Library Association, Stillwater, Okla. SPONS AGENCY Office of Education (DREW), Washington, D.C. PUB DATE May 76 NOTE 246p. EDRS PRICE 8F-$0.83 HC-$12.71 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Cultural Centers; Humanities; *Institutes {Training Programs); Library Education; *Library Programs; Professional Continuing Education; Program Evaluation; *Public Libraries; Resource Centers ABSTRACT In 1974, the Southwestern LibraryAssociation (SWLA) with support from the National Endommept for the Humanitiesundertook a project to develop humanities. programs toIA implemented in local libraries. An institute was designed to train participating librarians in techniques for designing library programs incorporating themes from the humanities and emphasizing the heritage of the Southwest. The goals of the institute were to increase libiary service and to promote local libraries as cultural resource centers. This report summarizes. the contents of the training institute, and includes: a copy of the agenda; the texts of instructional presentations; a digest of pre-institute questionnaires; and results of as evaluation of the institute., (EMH) S *********************************************************************** Documents acquired by ERIC include many inforial unpublished "* * materials not available from other sources. ERIC makes every effort * * to obtain the best copy available. Nevertheless; items Of marginal * * reproducibility are often encountered and this affectg thequality *. * of the m crofiche and hardcopy reproductions ERIC.makes Available * via the RIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS). BIAS isnot * pspons ble for the quality of the document. Reprodudtions.* * supplied by BDRS are the best that can bemade from the original. * *i**************************A****************************************** SouniwurEni LIBRARY INTERSTATE COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR (SLICE) A Project of the (SiOtTirlitESTPLRVLm_RARY 4s9 orwza1'T TO PROMOTE ALL. LIBRARY INTERESTS IN THE SOUTHWEST AND MEXICO t PROCEEDINGS of the HEA Title II-B Institute od Developing Skills in Planning Humanities-Based Library Programs October 11 - 18, 1975 3 Edited and Compiled by . Peggy O'Donnell Insti iirector U S MEN.T OF HEALTH EDUCATION 3. WELFARE NOTIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS SEEN REPRO- DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM E9SON OR ORGANiZATIONORIGIN MING It POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED 00 NOT NECESSARILY REPRE SENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY Prepared For and Through a Grant From- the U. S. Office of Education May, .1976 , TABLE OF CONTENTS 6 SECTION I Summary of Institute Proposal and Plan of Operatiop* 1 List of Institute Participants 5 Institute Program 7 SECTION II Participants' Introductory Comments The National Endowment for the Humanities and Public Libraries . 13 The SWLA/NEH Project - A Regional Approach I . 22 .. 1 Focus on the Individual States - A Symposium 27 The Soul of th' Southwest 40 A Southwest Guitural Mosaic - a Panel The Black Heritage 46 The Cajun Heritage 51 The Spanish Heritage 57 Indians of the Southwest 60 Program Planning and Theme Selection 63 Group Work Sheet #1 . ,65 The Planning Process 66 . A Survey of Your Community (checklist) 74 Group Woil.k Sheet #2 75 Group Report Sheet 76 Types of Interaction . 77 GrOup'Role Plays 84 The Administrative Structure for Program Planning ... , . 85 NA., . The Administrativetrative Structure (checklist) 92 Grant Proposal Writing 93 Checklist for'a,Proposal Writer 100 Overview of Library Programming fa* Adults 101 Locating Local Cultural Resources 105 Resources in Your Community (Worksheet) 108 Program Formats, 111 Program Outline 118 SeleCting Formats (worksheet) 119 San Francisco Program Approval Form , 122 3 \ d CONTENTS (cont.) Handling Administrative Details . 123 Administrative Details Checklist '125 pore Administrative Details ' 127 4, A Planning Checklist for Program Directors o ,/ 128 In-Basket Exercise 129 Promoting Library Services and Programs 130 Participants' Program Plans Arizona Plans 140 u Arkansas Plans 4 149 L(')uisiana Plans . I.0 New Mexico Plans ., 151 Oklahoma Plans 4 , 154 . , Texas Plans . 155 1 SECTION III Summary of'Pre-Id titue Questionnaire Results 164 'Pre - Institute Questionnaire 165 Institute Reaction Form 167 Institute Director's Evaluation 168 Final Evaluation Form . 171 Summary of Final Evaluation Results .176 APPENDIX Selected Library Programs in the Htkanities Al Pride in Heritage Slide Presentation (script) AS Program Description (SWLA/NEH Project) A21 Topics Selected by State Committees (SWLA/NEH Project) A32 Themes for Humanities-Based Library Programs (Dr. Perkins) A34. Community Descriptions A43 Writing a Grant Proposal' (worksheet) A49 Public Relations Sessions Group Assignments A52 4 1 Summary of Institute Proposal and Plan of Operation Peggy O'Donnell c INTRODUCTION The Southwestern Library, Association (SWLA) with a membership that represents all types of libraries in six states (Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, OklAlhoma and Texas) has taftn,sm active role in aiding the librarians in the Southwest in their efforts to provide better service. Through, its'research and development arm, SLICE . (Southwest. Library Interstate Cooperative Endeavor), SWLA has studied the continuing education situation, in the region - a long recognized need in the area. Recommendations from this, study resulted in SWLA establishing a Position of continuing education coordinatpr (GELS) * 0 to develop a continuing education network in the area. In addition, the coordinator initiates new educational programs when a need is ,identified for a particular kind of training. In a further effort to enrich the lives of the people of the Sod'th- west through the libraties,in the region, SWLA, in 1974, requested and received from the National Endowment for the Humanities a planning grant for the purpose of locating resources in the humanities that could be used to develop programs to be presented in local libraries. These programs would be based on topics in the humanities that were -felt to be of particular significance in the Southwest.The programs would be used to promote the value of the library as a.source of cultural resources and as a catalyst to spark discussion. of issues based on those resources. This project was felt to beespecially.needed in geographically isolated areas. The original planning project was direCted to survey the resources, people and materials, in the region, and to apply. them in a project of continuing programming in the humanities for libraries.During the planning period, almost 2000 human resources and a vast amount of materials, both print and non-print, wdreddocumented.A proposal was submitted. to the NEH in March, 1975, for a grant to develop programs based on the inventory findings. However, the National Endowment allows funding only for.fhe expense of the actual programs. There was .no allowance for training the librarians who would be producing these programs. Since it was likely that many of the programs would take , place in geographically isolated libraries where little programming had been attempted before, SWLA sought to provide theAraining com- ponent which was needed. k In February, 1975, the SWLA applied for an Office of Education Titl,IIB Institute to upgrade the progiamiming skills of library staffs in small and medium-sized libraries. The institute was designed to train participants in the teamiques of planning library programs using themes from the humanities, and working cooperatively with other members of the community. The program content was to be aimed specifically at, the heritage of the Southwest, but it was assumed that the skills, acquired through the institute would enable participlints to produce all types of effective libraryprograms. In additi n,, since the participants would be directed to devise a model 5 -2- for planning and implementing programs, it was aigo hoped. that the concepts and techniques established in these models could be used by other librarians in the region.' GOALS The goals of the institute were to increase library service and provide greater cultural enrichment to the adult population in geographically isolated areas by training library staff members in small and medium-size public libraries in the techniques of planning and implementing programS; to demonstrate to participants that the library ----PTG gram is an excellent vehicle to promote the public library as a cultural resource center; to encourage participants to make extensive use of the NEH inventory as a source for innovative programs and as a valuable reference tool; to encourage *participants to use the skills and competencies acquired to develop a long-rarige plan that will in- sure a wide variety of library programs of all types in the future; and to train the narticipants to act as,trainets and consultantsto other Librarians in the region by creatinga model for the process of developing library sponsored humanities proems. Through the instructional program, participants receivedinstruc- tion in developing program themes, topics and formats; making community contacts; promoting the library and its services through public relations and publicity; writing grant proposals; producing programs in the library; and evaluating programs. The major goal of the institute

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