Of the 10 libraries we've contacted, only 5 ("Downtown," "Uptown," "West Metro," "Southern Beaches", "Northwester,") have responded -- the rest remain silent. So some form of follow-up is in order. My Supervisor told me that she receives similar requests "all the time" and that the researchers who send them often send multiple reminder letters -- so she suggested that we do the same. Sounds like a wise plan to me.
This afternoon, I attempted to write a follow-up letter that would lure our 5 remaining libraries into action. To do so, the letter would have to be short and to the point -- would have to strike the right tone: somewhere between "firm" and "collegial." The letter must also convey what each library would gain from participating -- something we somehow neglected to mention in the first letter. Since each of the five participating libraries have expressed great interest in my research and recommendation report, I've promised to give them copies of these things as thanks for participation. (I'll use these same things as "carrot" to lure the silent libraries into participating).
My follow-up letter must also convince the silent libraries to contact us ASAP -- even if it's just to say that they aren't interested and don't want to participate. This is so that I'll still have time to substitute other libraries who may be more inclined to participate. Ideally, by the beginning of the second week of April, I'll have ten responses from ten libraries, regardless of how many libraries I had to substitute in and out to get them...
With only a month left in which to complete this project, time is getting tight!
In other news: the Curator is pleased with my progress on the postcard cataloging project, and I've promised her that I'll make one last big attempt on it this weekend. I know it's not possible to finish in one day, but the further I can bring it to completion before April, the better, as anything that remains will have to wait until May.
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