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This is a call for help from the library of the Municipal Art Society of
New York.  Called The Information Exchange, TIE is a specialized library
of books, periodical clippings, documents and ephemera devoted to New
York City.  For the past year we have been seeking funding to transform
this library into a nationally accessible resource for scholars,
journalists, community advocates and other students of the built and
natural environment.

For the last 20 years of our century-old organization, the Municipal Art
Society has been collecting articles and documents about the development
of New York City -- its architecture, public art, land use,
neighborhoods and parks -- and making these items available to urban
scholars, researchers, activists, and others.

We are now seeking funding assistance to complete a major effort to (1)
Catalogue our clippings and documents collection according to the
Library of Congress system; (2) Catalogue our monographs; (3) Place
catalogues of TIE's holdings on-line;
(4) Scan and digitally store TIE's clippings and document files; (5) And
spread the word both locally and nationally about its existence and
value through a public outreach campaign.

While we have had small successes, many of our funding prospects have
come up dry.  If anyone has some good leads about funding sources and/or
technology investors for specialty libraries with an architecture/public
art/planning/New York City focus, please let me know with an e-mail to
<a href="/scripts/wa.exe?LOGON=A3%3Dind9809%26L%3DARLIS-L%26E%3D7BIT%26P%3D40275%26B%3D--%26T%3Dtext%252FplainTEXT%252FPLAIN%3B%2520charset%3DUS-ASCII%26pending%3D" target="_parent" >[log in to unmask]</a> or a call to (212) 935-3960.

Thank you very much -

Claudia Gisolfi, Librarian
The Information Exchange
Municipal Art Society of New York