Rich Crank was a staff member of the University of Kansas Libraries.

Following the death of three friends from the AIDS virus, Crank became active in educating the public about this health crisis. Crank said, "If people become more aware, cases of AIDS won't go up as fast as they have."

In 1992, Crank created two displays on AIDS awareness for two libraries on KU campus, Anschutz Science Library and Watson Library, as part of World AIDS Awareness Day (December 1). The Anschutz display highlighted scientific and psychological research, while the Watson display highlighted the effect of AIDS on literature and institutions throughout the world. In 1994, Crank created a display for ArtFrames Gallery in Lawrence, Kansas, entitled "Past the Compass: Posters in the AIDS Crisis," again for World AIDS Awareness Day. Many of these posters have been donated to the Kenneth Spencer Research Library by Crank (see "Related Materials").

In 2009, the University of Kansas Libraries hosted an exhibit in the Watson Library Gallery titled "Reach Out: Scholarly and Visual Communication to Promote AIDS Awareness." This was a multidisciplinary exhibition, showcasing the research of KU scholars, with the primary goal of educating the public about the AIDS crisis.