20 Libraries Nationwide Receive NEH Support for Program on 20th-Century American Presidency

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced today that 20 libraries nationwide have each received a $1,000 grant to host the multimedia public program "Presidents, Politics and Power."

"At the National Endowment for the Humanities, we support programs that are meaningful, engaging and accessible to all Americans," said NEH Chairman William Ferris. " 'Presidents, Politics and Power' uses a lively mix of high-quality video documentaries and writings by leading scholars to engage the community in an exploration of the American presidency in the 20th century."

The six-week program, scheduled for 2002, will include scholar-led lectures, documentary film screenings, and reading and discussion on six of the most influential 20th-century American presidents: Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.

Participants will explore and discuss each presidency with special attention to their foreign and domestic policies, the historical context of their service and their unique governing styles. Materials for discussion feature scholarly articles by historians John Morton Blum, Walter LaFeber and Leon Litwack, and presentations by local scholars. The program features four documentary films made by David Grubin for PBS's "American Experience." The program is the result of a partnership between NEH, National Video Resources, the American Library Association and the Organization of American Historians.

• ARIZONA
  Tempe, Tempe Public Library
  Contact: Dorothy Stewart, (480) 350-5508
• CALIFORNIA
  Berkeley, Institute of Government Studies
  Contact: Terry J. Dean, (510) 643-6429
• Visalia, College of the Sequoias
  Contact: Nancy Finney, (559) 730-3826
• CONNECTICUT
  Falls Village, Housatonic Valley Regional High School
  Contact: Kathleen Mera, (860) 824-5123
• FLORIDA
  Estero, South County Regional Library
  Contact: Jessica Girlando, (941) 390-3206
• GEORGIA
  Carrollton, West Georgia Regional Library
  Contact: Martha Goodson, (770) 836-6711
• Decatur, DeKalb Public Library System/Maud M. Burrus Library
  Contact: Anne J. Johnson, (404) 370-8450
• ILLINOIS
  Galesburg, Galesburg Public Library
  Contact: Amy E. Falasz, (309) 343-4877
• LOUISIANA
  Monroe, Ouachita Parish Public Library
  Contact: Estella Smith, (318) 327-1490
• MICHIGAN
  Lansing, Capital Area District Library
  Contact: Joan C. Smith, (517) 367-6300
• Ypsilanti, Bruce T. Halle Library
  Contact: Julia K. Nims, (734) 487-0020
• NEW JERSEY
  Manalapan, Monmouth County Public Library
  Contact: Flora T. Higgins, (732) 431-7242
• NEW YORK
  Poughkeepsie, Poughkeepsie Public Library
  Contact: Julie Cohen, (845) 485-3445
• NORTH CAROLINA
  Raleigh, Cameron Village Regional Library
  Contact: Elena Owens, (919) 856-6727
• NORTH DAKOTA
  Fargo, North Dakota State University Library
  Contact: Michael Robinson, (701) 231-1017
• OHIO
  Toledo, Toledo-Lucas County Library
  Contact: John C. Selzer, (419) 259-5229
• OKLAHOMA
  Shanee, Mabee Learning Center
  Contact: Junie Janzen, (405) 878-2255
• PENNSYLVANIA
  University Park, Pennsylvania State University Libraries
  Contact: Helen M. Sheehy, (814) 863-1347
• VIRGINIA
  Fairfax, Fairfax County Public Library
  Contact: Katie Strotman, (703) 324-8333
• WYOMING
  Jackson, Teton County Library
  Contact: Kirsten Corbett, (307) 733-2164