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ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline [ALA-WO:490] Volume 9, Number 15, February 22, 2000

In this issue:
[1] White House Appoints John W. Roberts Deputy Chairman of National Endowment for the Humanities
[2] Application and Guidelines Available for FY2000 Historic Preservation Fund Grants

White House Appoints John W. Roberts Deputy Chairman of National Endowment for the Humanities

Note: The following is a January 31 news release from the National Endowment for the Humanities. It is available online at http://www.neh.gov/News/archive/20000131.html.

WASHINGTON, January 31-The White House has named John W. Roberts deputy chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Roberts, who is currently chairman of Ohio State University's Department of African American and African Studies, will begin his new position on February 22.

"John Roberts has clearly demonstrated his leadership as a scholar, teacher and administrator while working both at the
University of Pennsylvania and at Ohio State University. He brings a deep commitment to the humanities that will serve the agency well as it shares its important programs with all Americans," said NEH Chairman William R. Ferris. "I am delighted to welcome John
Roberts to the National Endowment for the Humanities as the agency's deputy chairman."

Dr. Roberts has been a professor in Ohio State's African American and African studies department since 1996 and department chairman since 1998. Previously he served as director of the Afro-American studies program and associate professor in the folklore and folklife department at the University of Pennsylvania.

Roberts has published widely in the fields of literature, folklore and African American studies. In addition to numerous articles and book reviews, he is author of "From Huckleberry to Hip: Social Dance in the African American Community in Philadelphia" (1995) and "From Trickster to Badman: The Black Folk Hero in Slavery and Freedom" (1989).

He is currently a member of the advisory board of the Smithsonian Institution's Folklife and Cultural Studies Programs. He is past president of both the American Folklore Society (1996-1998) and
the Association for African and African American Folklore (1988- 1994). He has a B.A. in English from Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tenn., an M.A. in English from Columbia University in
New York and a Ph.D. in English with a specialization in folklore from Ohio State University.

Application and Guidelines Available for FY2000 Historic Preservation Fund Grants

Note: The following is available online at
http://www.neh.gov/News/archive/20000222.html. For more information contact Barbara Paulson, Senior Program Officer, Division of Preservation & Access, National Endowment for the
Humanities, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20506, phone: 202-606-8577.

The National Park Service, Department of the Interior, is pleased to announce that the application and guidelines for the Save
America's Treasures FY 2000 Historic Preservation Fund Grants are available. Grants are available for preservation and/or conservation work on nationally significant intellectual and
cultural artifacts and nationally significant historic structures and sites. A total of $15 million will be awarded.

In 1999, Congress approved President Clinton's request for funding to Save America's Treasures, providing $30 million in Federal grants to address the urgent preservation needs of the nation's most significant historic sites and collections. As a result of this appropriation, twelve Federal agencies received awards for 62 projects in 24 states, the District of Columbia and the Midway
Islands. Building upon the success of this grant program, Congress approved an additional $30 million to Save America's Treasures as part of the Fiscal Year 2000 budget.

This year's appropriation has earmarked $15 million for select preservation projects nationwide, with the remaining $15 million available in federal grants to protect America's threatened cultural treasures, including significant documents, works of art, buildings, objects, and collections. All applications must be postmarked by March 31, 2000. Award recipients are scheduled to be announced in June.

Given the increased awareness of the Save America's Treasures program, it is anticipated that the number of applications submitted will increase dramatically from last year, making the
distribution of the $15 million a highly competitive process.

An application and detailed guidelines on how to apply for the Save America's Treasures FY 2000 Historic Preservation Fund Grants are available at
http://www.imls.gov/whatsnew/current/sat00app.pdf.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: If you have questions regarding the Save America's Treasures Fiscal Year 2000 grant application process, please contact the federal or non-federal agency listed below most appropriate to handle your inquiry:
National Park Service
Telephone: 202.343.9570
E-mail: treasures@nps.gov

Institute of Museum and Library Services
Telephone: 202.606.8547
E-mail: mekennelly@imls.gov

National Endowment for the Arts
Telephone: 202.682.5489
E-mail: mclaughm@arts.endow.gov

National Endowment for the Humanities
Telephone: 202.606.8570
E-mail: preservation@neh.gov