Briefs

Online tutorial for Iraqi librarians: The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded a grant of $97,554 to Cornell University Library's Department of Preservation and Collection Maintenance to develop an online preservation tutorial for Iraqi librarians and archivists. To be presented in Arabic, "Preserving and Documenting Iraq's Cultural Heritage" will cover all aspects of library preservation and provide practical answers to a wide variety of questions. This project will build on an existing tutorial Cornell and the Council on Library and Information Resources developed in 2002 for librarians and archivists in Southeast Asia (see http://librarypreservation.org/). The new tutorial, while aimed specifically at Iraq, also will be applicable to other areas of the Arabic-speaking world, including Egypt, the Sudan, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan, Yemen, the United Arab Republic, Oman and Lebanon. Arabic is the fourth most-widely spoken language in the world, after Chinese, Spanish and English. For more information, contact John Dean at 255-9687 or e-mail jfd5@cornell.edu.

Seat belt crackdown: Cornell University Police will be joining the second annual wave of the national "Click It or Ticket Mobilization," April 18-24. "Failure to wear a seat belt is against the law in this state. We enforce this law because it's the best proven way to save lives. If you won't buckle up to save your life, then buckle up to save yourself a ticket," said Sgt. Chuck Howard, traffic enforcement coordinator for Cornell Police. During this time there will be a "zero tolerance" approach to seat belt violations. Cornell Police officers will intensify enforcement of safety belt laws by setting up checkpoints and intersection patrols. Cornell Police participates in the mobilizations because they work, Howard said. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) reported recently that child fatalities from traffic crashes have declined by 20 percent since the mobilizations began.

CCA project deadline: Applications for the Cornell Council for the Arts (CCA) themed initiative projects are due this week and next. The CCA's new project theme "Tolerance and Territory" runs from fall 2004 through spring 2006 and is open to members of the Cornell community. Applications for CCA-sponsored funding (up to $3,000) are due Friday, April 16, and all related materials are due Friday, April 23. For funding up to $1,000, the application deadline is Sept. 20, and materials are due Sept. 27. Proposed projects should identify and articulate specific ideas of "tolerance and territory" within proposed work. Project funding will be determined on the basis of clarity of intent and artistic merit. For a project description and for more information about the application process, visit the CCA Web site at http://www.arts.cornell.edu/cca or call the council office at 255-7274. The CCA was founded in 1947 to incorporate the arts more thoroughly into campus life while helping to make artistic and creative thinking an integral part of a Cornell education.

Gallery applications: The Department of Art is accepting applications for the Olive Tjaden Gallery and the Experimental Studio for fall 2004. Applications are available through the art department office at 224 Tjaden Hall. Applications must be submitted by Friday, April 23.