Problems configuring GTK 1.2.5 w/ glib 1.2.5

[KenStarr <pjmccann linfield edu>]

Hey there...
I'm having troubles getting the ./configure command to work with GTK 1.2.5
I have already downloade glib-1.2.5.tar.gz into my /usr/local/bin
directory. I ran tar on it, then I ran ./configure, make, and make install
on it with no error messages.  I went on to try to run the ./configure
program, and at the end I get the following message

>>
checking for GLIB - version >= 1.2.4... no
*** Could not run GLIB test program, checking why...
*** The test program compiled, but did not run. This usually means
*** that the run-time linker is not finding GLIB or finding the wrong
*** version of GLIB. If it is not finding GLIB, you'll need to set your
*** LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable, or edit /etc/ld.so.conf to point
*** to the installed location  Also, make sure you have run ldconfig if
that
*** is required on your system
***
<<

I'm running Red Hat Linux 5.2.  I used the rpm -e gtk gtk-devel command to
make sure there was no existing gtk g gtk (there wasn't).  I tried editing
my /etc/ld.so.conf fileto include the glib directory to no avail.  I still
get the same message.  I'm using glib 1.2.5 with gtk 1.2.5.  Could anyone
make a suggestion as to what I might be doing wrong?  Please keep in mind
that I in the process of converting from being strong in a windows 
environment to a becoming a linux user.  Getting gtk to work will be my
first ever install on linux.  

Thanks!
-patrick