College and Research Libraries The. Library on the Air University of Utah T HE LIBRARY of the University of Utah was given the privilege of offering one of the nine thirty-minute programs pre- sented by the university on Radio Station KSL during the school year of 1945-46. The library program was presented Mar. 15, 1946. The program was scheduled from 10 :oo to 10:30 in the evening. This is a choice commercial time; therefore, it was im- pressed upon all of the participants in the university programs that the offerings would have to be unusually good to wp.rrant re- taining this critical one-half hour. Work ·Was not begun on the program seriously until early in January. At this time the librarian, with the assistance . of the staff members, outlined . two possible programs. One was a quiz prQgram. After careful consideration, however, the librarian abandoned the idea of a quiz program. Since the purpose of the broadcast was to tell t.he people of the state of Utah and the intermountain territory things they should know about the work done . in the university library, it seemed completely impossible that listeners to a quiz program could know anything about the book stacks, the services rendered, and such items. They would be unable to answer the questions asked. It is, of course, obvious that half the fun of listening to a quiz type of pro- gram is the fun the listeners get in rating themselves. The listener is delighted to , find that occasionally he knows the answer sooner than the expert or the man in the street. Therefore, the quiz ~ype of pro.: gram was out when it was apparent self- rating would not be nossible. The next type of program, a<7tually out- lined in some detail, was one in which the library presented various library staff mem- ber,s, who then told the listeners of their daily work. The script for this program was tried out on an extension class of the university with some favorable comment. However, the Radio Guild of the univer- sity and the director of the University Radio Series both stated that they felt this script was chloroform on the air. At the suggestion of the directo~ of the series and the Radio Guild members, the librarian then outliJled a tour through the university library with an imaginary group of freshmen asking questions and receiving answers about things which im- press visitors. Much of the material was the same as that used in the rejected script. The trial audience liked the new treatment much better. The thing which made the radio program really succ_essful was the fact that after the librarian had outlined these two scripts he turned them over to the Radio Guild of the university for its members to do with as they pleased. Talented youngsters who had been studying radio from three to four months, and some of them for years, then wrote the script in the form of a radio fantasy. Some of the things these young writers did sound frankly amateurish. For instance, they went back to pioneer days and had an argument between a husband and wife re-enacted as to whether or not there was room in a covered wagon for books. Several of the writers called on the li- brarian during this time to get additional 36 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES information and criticism. The librarian was apprehensive when the young writers announced they were going to give the library a voice and have the building talk to a dwwsy student! But the net effect was surprisingly good. The Radio Guild provided actors as well as writers. It also provided the incidental music and other sound effects, which amounted to no small ta.sk in a one-half hour program. The program finally went through without 'difficulty. It ran twelve seconds longer than the program director had planned, thus causing the omission of the names of the actors. The reaction of the university facult y to the program was good. This was an extra compliment as the program was not planned for them. The radio series and th~ University Radio Guild both had made it clear . that this program was to present the university library to the state. Listeners who took the trouble to com- ment said they enjoyed it and that it taught them something about the university library .. The educational director of the radio sta- tion said that he considered it a model pro- gram and that it represented what he thought a college or university ought to do. It combined entertainment with in- formation in a smooth and effective man- ner. A few copies of the script fo~ this pro- gram may be obtained by writing the librarian of the University of Utah, Salt Lake City.-L. H. Kirkpatrick. University of South Carolina , As one of the results of a staff survey of the University of South Carolina Library in the summer of 1945, the writer1 formed a committee of himself and two staff mem- bers to take charge of publicity. The com- mittee decided that the library should direct its efforts in three directions, each requir- ing different methods. Posters, exhibits, and items in the student paper w.ould reach the "students. The weekly book list and semimonthly ~ocial affairs f~r the various departments, with an off-campus speaker to give them point, would help form closer ' relations with the faculty. Publicity to tqe general public, and incidentally to the university administration, required a me- dium calling attention to the library with- · , out advertising specific services. The committee decided upon a s~ries of art exhibits, with stories about them in the Sunday paper, for one of the devices to accomplish their aim. Another device was a series of radio programs. 1 The writer was formerly librar ian of the University of S outh C a rolina. The first season of the university library program began on September 22 and ended thirty-seven weeks later, on June r. The 1 time was ' Saturday evening, 7 :00-7 :I 5, the statio~, WCOS, the local affiliate of the American . Broadcasting Co. · While the other two stations in Columbia also offered free time for the program, WCOS was chosen because it could schedule the broad- casts at the most convenient and favorable hour. The programs were designed to " publicize the university, the university li- brary, and libraries in general, py talks on subjects of current or enduring interest. The speakers usually mentioned one or two books or magazine articles, inci