Librarians throw book at closing state library By Ron Hayes, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Sunday, February 16, 2003 After Florida's librarians learned last month that Gov. Jeb Bush wants to dismantle the Florida State Library and fire 55 employees, they decided maybe silence isn't always golden. And their roar has been growing ever since. Wednesday evening, about 50 area librarians -- city, county, academic, legal and corporate -- gathered in a meeting room at the Palm Beach County Library's main branch on Summit Boulevard in suburban West Palm Beach. Two hours and a lot of questions and complaints later, they had unanimously adopted a resolution calling on the governor to spare the institution, which was founded in 1845 when Florida became a state. Now, 158 years later, Bush wants to scatter it here and there to save $4.7 million out of a $54 billion budget. "Tell your legislators, 'Stop!' " Palm Beach County Library Director Jerry Brownlee urged the crowd. "We need to reconsider this right now. It doesn't mean there can never be any changes to the Florida State Library, or we can't do what needs to be done to balance the budget, but this is a serious matter." Artifacts are volatile issue The Florida State Library is 120 employees on 1 1/2 floors of the R.A. Gray Building in Tallahassee, 11 miles of shelf space and a million books, documents and microfilms, all about Florida. But it's also a 1589 map of Sir Francis Drake's attack on St. Augustine. And the diary of Gen. Thomas Jesup, who captured Chief Osceola in the Seminole Wars of the 1830s. And photographs of Key West in the 1840s. And the original plans for Disney World from the 1960s. Under Bush's plan, that map, the diary, those photographs and everything else in the library's Museum of Florida History and the State Archives would be transferred to the state's Park Services under the Department of Environmental Protection. "Putting archives in a recreation and parks department, I take offense at that," said Virginia Farace, director of the Boynton Beach Public Library and president of the Palm Beach County Library Association. "I respect them, but I don't believe I can do their job, and I don't believe they can do my job." The Bureau of Library Development, which coordinates summer youth programs and steers federal grant money to develop local libraries, would be moved to the newly created Department of State and Community Partnership. Most drastically, though, the circulating collection of about 500,000 books and documents also would be moved -- as soon as the state can find a place to put it. Florida State University had been approached about accepting the collection, but FSU President T.K. Wetherell balked when he was told the books would arrive with neither staff nor budget. "We're not playing a game," Wetherell told The Tallahassee Democrat. "We're out of it." Other universities are being approached, with Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale often mentioned as a candidate, but librarians argue that any university -- especially a private one, like Nova -- will always put its students ahead of the public. "If push comes to shove between serving the general public and serving their students, they'll serve their students," Brownlee predicted. Changing of the guard Wednesday's meeting had been postponed from December, when State Librarian Barratt Wilkins was to have been the guest speaker. But Wilkins begged off with vague apologies and suggested the later date. And then, on Jan. 6, he resigned after 26 years on the job. "The first I learned of the plan was on November 22," Wilkins later wrote to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and Economic Development, which will consider the budget request in March. "I was sworn to secrecy. At that time I decided to retire. Of course, I do not agree with the Governor's plan." Local librarians had hoped the new state librarian, Judith Ring, would appear instead. She didn't, but sent a four-page letter defending the plan. "The Governor is fully aware of the history of the Division and its importance to Florida's citizens," Ring assured them. On Friday, Florida Department of State spokeswoman Jenny Nash emphasized that Bush's proposed budget includes $45.6 million for libraries. Nash could not cite any money specifically set aside to support the state archives but said 15 of the department's 19.5 employees (one part-timer) would be transferred to the Department of Environmental Protection, along with the museum collection. Nash declined to identify specific sites where the circulating collection may find a home but noted that Nova Southeastern receives about 50 percent of its development money from Broward County taxpayers. And, she said, it is possible the circulating collection may be split among several different depositories. "I don't know if it will be moved or divided between libraries," Nash said. "We hope to maximize the use of the interlibrary loan service so no matter where it ends up, it will be accessible anywhere in Florida."