Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World

Online Site Support Notebook: Sample Letter to Community Groups

(
NOTE: In mailings to the media and community groups, include announcements, flyers and brochures of library programs related to the exhibition. Letters to the media should also include press kits, offer assistance in developing stories, and include a library contact.)

(DATE)

Dear Library Friend:
(PERSONALIZE GREETING WHENEVER POSSIBLE)

The
(NAME OF LIBRARY) is pleased to announce the opening of a new exhibition, "Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World" on
(DATE). The
(NAME OF LIBRARY) is one of only 40 libraries in the United States selected to host the traveling exhibition, which was organized by the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary, Philadelphia, and the American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office, Chicago. The Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary is a nonprofit organization established by a grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts to educate the public about Franklin's enduring legacy and inspire renewed appreciation of the values he embodied.

Based on original documents in the collections of many Philadelphia institutions such as the American Philosophical Society, The Franklin Institute, the Library Company of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the University of Pennsylvania, and other museums and libraries across the country, the exhibit examines the remarkable life and achievements of one of America's most beloved personalities. Franklin was a diplomat, scientist, entrepreneur, inventor, humorist and philanthropist whose wisdom and wit continue to inspire and entertain us more than three hundred years after his birth.

The "Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World" traveling exhibition is made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): great ideas brought to life.

The traveling exhibition is based upon a major exhibition developed by the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary which has traveled to major cities across the United States. For more information on the original exhibition, please visit
http://www.benfranklin300.org

We would like to invite you to a special preview of the exhibition on
(DAY, DATE) at
(TIME) at the library
(OR PARTICULAR LOCATION IN LIBRARY).
(NAME) will be the guest speaker. A news release included with this correspondence provides additional details. Please contact me at
(TELEPHONE, E-MAIL) if you have questions.

We hope you can join us as we introduce this exciting exhibition to our community.

Sincerely,

(NAME)