Art.1: Edyta Urbanska
The European Union Grants - proposal 2000

The author informs which EU grants are now being offered and carried into effect, taking into consideration the grants that both public and research libraries may qualify for. The 5th Framework Research Programme and IST, the part dealing with the development of an information society are being outlined, as well as the following programmes: Culture, Socrates, Leonardo daVinci, Ten-telecom and Promise. The conditions necessary to carry out the programme, the Web sites of these programmes, and some useful contact numbers in Poland and in Europe are given for each of these programmes.

Art.2: Leszek Chmielewski
The European Union Grants - 5PR

The author is a consultant to the National Contact Point for the 5th EU Framework Programme in Warsaw. He gives a thorough presentation of the structure of this programme, the methods of looking for external partners, recommends the choice of specific kinds of projects meant for particular conceptions, shows the role and the tasks assigned to people in a given project, specifies the qualifications necessary to carry out the project. He gives a short outline of how to calculate the costs, and ends with the presentation of rules of the EU competitions. Some sources of information to be found on the Internet are also given.

Art.3: Teresa E. Szymorowska:
Grants for Public Libraries

The author shares her wide experience in running a library and managing grants with librarians and encourages them to apply for funds from various foundations and institutions that finance cultural and educational centres. She characterizes public libraries and gives an account of how they are related to the local self-governments, points out some unclear principles of finansing and inability to draw funds from non government sources unaided. The names of foundations and programmes that finance public libraries in Poland are given, as well as some statistical data concerning the competitions that have been won. Drawing from the fact that these statistics are unimpressive, the author urges librarians to take the trouble, and to try to gain some funds and to be active.

Art.4: Elzbieta Niwinska
The Subsidies of the Foundation in Support of Polish Science

The author, the member of the staff of a well-known Polish Foundation in Support of Polish Science (FNP), writes about the activities of this foundation and encourages librarians to seek the financial aid of this institution. She describes the programmes that were carried through so far, and she puts emphasis on the profile and the role of the FNP in supporting research centers. She also sketches in an outline of a new project called CERBER which is designed mainly for libraries and archives. The CERBER programme helps research centers to undertake preparations and implement comprehensive solutions concerning the proper protection of special collections. In closing, the author shows how to work out a proposal to the FNP.

Art.5: Anna Uryga
The Programmes Supporting Medical Libraries

The author surveys the gap between foreign and Polish medical librarians' communities. She describes the perfect organizational skills of the medical librarians abroad , as well as their mutual financial and professional support built to develop libraries and medical information centers. Polish government and professional organizations appear to be mediocre in comparison, and this should stimulate them to greater efforts, to improve organization and to lobby for national non-profit institutions. Many Internet addresses of interesting sites that offer not only ideas, but also organized support can be found in this article.

Art.6: Krystyna Fronk
Research Projects Financed by the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan

The author, a member of the administrative staff of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan indicates a different way of acquiring grants for libraries. At present, universities introduce considerable organizational changes and they induce their subordinate departments to struggle for the university funds in order to unleash the energy and inventiveness of their staff, and to spend the money (modest funds) in a more sensible and rational way. That is why libraries should look around nearby to seek these funds as well. The author presents some statistical data, the programmes that have already been carried out at the university and the plans for future activity. She also writes how to apply to the university for internal grants.