How to stop zlib from killing python

[sessile at in-gen.net]

SunOS 5.5.1
zlib-1.1.3
python-1.5.2
gcc-2.7.1

Made zlib shared library using gcc.  'make test' indicated
success.  I then installed zlib into my home directory
using 'make install --prefix=$HOME'.  This gave me
/home/me/include and /home/me/lib.

Made python using gcc and did not install (running directly
from ~/Python-1.5.2 directory... worked for other tests).

I had successfully been adding optional shared modules one
at a time until I reached zlib.  I uncommented the zlib
line in Python-1.5.2/Modules/Setup and modified it to find
my freshly installed version of zlib:

zlib zlibmodule.c -I/home/me/include -L/home/me/lib -lz

Python's 'make' completes without error.  However, when I
execute the newly generated python, I get:

% python
ld.so.1: python: fatal: libz.so.1.1.3: open failed: No such file or directory
Killed

Why can't python find the library at runtime? (yes, my
C programming experience is minimal)

Thanks.
--
E-Mail:  sessile at in-gen.net
  "I don't want the world... I just want your half."
                   -- TMBG (Anna Ng)