Because of Founders Memorial Library’s concern for students and faculty during its restructuring project ending in August 1986, the library won the John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award.

When the library conducted the “In Search of Space” project, it kept students and the faculty well informed of where books were to be moved and the major construction changes of the library, said Gordon Rowley, the library’s associate director.

“The contest was co-sponsored by the American Library Association, a national association that all types of libraries are represented by, and H.W. Willson, a publishing company from New York,” Rowley said.

The judges looked at the increased efforts of libraries to publicly inform its users of changes, Rowley said. He also said the judges liked NIU’s use of a theme and relating other aspects of public relations to it.

“Not every student or every faculty member walks in every day, but about 7,000 enter the library on busy days. This explains why we (the library) were concerned with public relations,” Rowley said.

Because of the growing collection of resources, there was an increased need for space, which is why the project was initiated, Rowley said. The library tried to be sensitive to the public’s needs during the remodeling process, he said.

“Allowing people to continue to use the library and to continue circulation of materials were two goals,” Rowley said. The contest looked at the goals, the circumstances and the libraries’ efforts to determine the winners, he said.

The library made t-shirts, buttons, bookmarkers and advertisements with the project’s logo to inform students and faculty of the current inconveniences of the library, said Sandra Jones-Warren, the library’s acting assistant director. In addition, maps were posted next to all the elevators showing where books originally had been and where they were being moved, she said.

“There were no letters to the editor of The Northern Star of the disruption, which is significant. If the students were upset, they would have written the editor,” Rowley said.

On April 17, the library was informed it had won a framed certificate for their public relations efforts, Jones-Warren said.

More than 130 libraries worldwide entered the contest. However, only 18 won, all of which are in the United States and three are in Illinois, Jones-Warren said.