Hi everyone - I am Jack Butler's wife and you usually don't hear from me. Well never. I have an idea. When you write you state legislator and the governor, copy Bill Cotterell at the Tallahassee Democrat in Tallahassee. He is the paper's gadfly. Jack and I live and work in the Tallahassee area. Believe me, the legislators read the Tallahassee Democrat - every line. And Bill Cotterell can really write an opinion piece when he smells something reeking. I think we should give it a shot. Can't hurt. - Cheryl, the silent wife. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Pam Cooper" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2003 9:15 AM Subject: [FLORIDA] Florida State Library/Archives > Florida's Historical Treasures Are at Risk > Pam Cooper, FSGS President > > I have provided you with some very important information based on > conversations that I had with Florida State Archives staff; Executive > Director of the Florida Historical Society, Nick Wynne; Librarians on > the Florida Library Association listserv; Jim Schnur, Special > Collections & Archives, Eckerd College; Robert Austin, President of the > Florida Archaeological Council and reading many, many documents now > available on the Internet. > > In addition, I have contacted and discussed this situation with David > Rencher, chair of the Records Preservation and Access (RPA) > http://www.fgs.org/rpa/ He asked me to write a report based on facts > and it will be posted to the RPA web site. Upon his return from the > American Library Association conference, he will make further contacts > in the library field and ask for support from genealogists and > historians all over the U.S. > > The most disheartening letter that I have read in the last four days is > the letter from our former State Librarian, Barratt Wilkins. He just > retired last month. Please read his email in its entirety at the end of > this email. > > I am asking for your help. Please write, email, visit your legislators. > Make them aware of this very grievous error that they are about to > commit. We cannot lose Florida's treasures. > > The Florida State Genealogical Society board has unanimously approved > joining a coalition to oppose Governor Bush's proposed budget regarding > the dismantling of the Florida State Library and Archives. > > The coalition currently consists of the following organizations: > . Florida Historical Society > . Florida Archaeological Council > . Florida Anthropological Society > . Florida Trust for Historic Preservation > . Florida Association of Museums > > A statement will be drafted the week of Jan 27. It will be discussed > among the coalition chairs and the statement will then be finalized and > sent to the Governor. > > Below are the details as I know them today. > > Facts > 1. The Governor has proposed for the 2003-4 budget ZERO dollars for the > State Library and Information Services > http://www.ebudget.state.fl.us/dtlsearchissue.asp?service_id=45400100&pgm_co mponent_id=0309000000&appr_cat_id=&issue_id=1001000 > > 2. It has been proposed that the state library be eliminated and > transferred to Florida State University in Tallahassee by July 1. > > 3. The proposed budget cuts 17.6 million from FSU's state funding and > President T. K. Wetherell said "The way it looks is that someone wants > us to assume a responsibility but with no money (provided)." In > addition, FSU has limited parking, and their own library is lacking so > much space that they use warehouses. The FSU library would need to hire > more staff to facilitate the book processing and increased reference > questions. > > 4. The Florida State Library and Archives division is now part of the > Department of State and is responsible for the state library, the state > archives, state record keeping and library development services/grants > programs for public libraries throughout the state. > > 5. The proposal for the Bureau of Archives and Records Management is for > > the Records Management responsibilities will become a part of the > Department of Management and the State Archives could fall under the > parks department of the Department of Environmental Protection. > > 6. The FloridaMemory.com project will be in jeopardy. This site now > contains the photographic collection (over 90,00 pictures), Florida > Pension Application Files, Spanish Land Grants, Call and Brevard Family > Papers, and many more documents of Florida's early history. > > 7. The Governor's budget must pass the Florida Legislature. Session will > > begin March 4. We still have time to change the tide. > > Below are newspaper articles via the Internet: > > Is state library about to die? - Tallahassee Democrat > http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/democrat/news/local/5018483.htm > > Bush: Agency merger would save millions - Tallahassee Democrat > http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/democrat/news/local/5000843.htm > > Library could be victim of Bush cuts - Orlando Sentinel > http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-loclibrary25012503jan25. story > > A LETTER FROM BARRATT WILKINS, RECENTLY RETIRED STATE LIBRARIAN OF THE > FLORIDA STATE LIBRARY > > Folks: > First, thanks to all for their good wishes on my retirement. I hope to > see many of you at the Reception on January 30, so we can visit again > for a short time. I am beginning to settle into my new routines, which > includes time each day in surfing the Internet and WWW. > > During my searching, I came across the Governor's Recommended Budget for > > FY2003-04. I assume many of you have seen the e-version of this document > > by now. It came out on Tuesday. > > One of the most startling changes is the elimination of the Department > of State and the Department of Community Affairs to form a new > "Department of State and Community Partnerships". The two departments > did have a combined workforce of 1026 FTE and a budget of $913,580,202. > The new Department will have a workforce of 597 FTE and a budget of > $740,738,101. ALSO, the divisions of Library and Information Services, > Cultural Affairs, and Historical Resources are eliminated and NOT part > of the new Department. In fact, it is difficult to find the word > "library" in the recommended budget. The new Department has a new > [Division of] Community Planning and Assistance, and within that new > division there is a new unit called "Community Assistance Grants" which > has the responsibility to administer grants for community development > and revitalization ($91.2 million), cultural opportunities ($16.4 > million for cultural and historic preservation grants), EDUCATIONAL > SUPPORT ($45.6 million in library grants and library construction), > executive leadership and support services ($10.1 million -117 positions > to administer grants); and land resources ($82.3 million). Somewhere > between 25 and 29 of the positions in executive leadership and support > services would be assigned administration and support of library grants. > > "Educational Support" is made up of the following grants: > State Aid to Libraries $32.4 million (no change) > Library Cooperative Grants 1.2 million (no change) > Library Construction Grants 5,996,157 > Federal Aid to Libraries 5,996,157 > > It would appear that the only staff assigned to administer these grants > would be the 25-29 positions in current Bureau of Library Development > and Administration Service units, in the current Division of Library and > > Information Services. This would be the ONLY staff! I did learn that an > error was made in the Governor's Recommended Budget, and that instead of > > State Archives and Records Management being transferred to the > Department of Management Services, it is now proposed to be transferred > to the Department of Environmental Protection under State Parks and > Recreation. DEP is going to be the new home for Archives and Records > Management and the staff will be reduced. I suspect that the Florida > Memory program as currently funded would be in jeopardy. The state > Library of Florida (Bureau of Library and Network Services) is slated to > > close effective July 1, 2003, with the layoff of all 36 employees in > that unit. The collections are supposed to go to Florida State > University, although that university does not have any room to house > 10.7 linear miles of materials in the State Library. FSU Library > currently utilizes two warehouses for its overflow collection. The > closure includes the State Library's operations in the Capitol, called > "Legislative Library Services". The antecedents of the State Library > began with Statehood in 1845, and the creation of what became the State > Library was among the first 15 acts of the new state's legislature. > Much of the Florida's history is in the collections: > Florida Collection - contains over 236,000 items including printed > materials, state government document, maps, and microfilm reels. > > There is also an unprecedented 113-file drawer of pamphlets, > manuscripts, and other materials collected by W.T. Cash, Dorothy Dodd, > and State Library staff for nearly 80 years. > > The Florida collection contains materials acquired by the State Library > before the Civil War and during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. > [There is a rumor that this collection would follow the State Archives > to State Parks and Recreation] > > General Collection - contains nearly 900,000 items including bound > books, federal documents, periodicals, films, 9700+ videos with public > performance rights, and materials in the legislative library service. [I > > have heard that one of the reasons to disburse this > collection is because it only had some 70,000 circulations from its > 330,000 bound books collection each year. While this may seem small in > comparison to public libraries, when one compares the circulation to the > > other state libraries in the nation, Florida ranked 10th in circulation. > > Florida also ranked 2nd in the nation in reference transactions and 6th > in public service hours. The State Library is a special library not a > public library and can only be compared with statistics of the other > state libraries.] > > The concept of the Division of Library and Information Services was to > be a "one-stop shop" for Florida residents to have free access to > information about Florida's history, culture, and life in all formats > including visual images, and provide assistance in the development of > library, archival, and records management services statewide. > > Questions for the library community: > With the proposed elimination of the State Library and a cost savings of > > approximately $3 million annually, what happens to the state documents > depository program? What happens to Florida's interlibrary loan network > (FLIN)? Audio-visual services? And will public access to the collections > > be preserved in an academic setting? What is the definition of public > access? > > With the elimination of FLIN, will libraries now be allowed to charge > one another for interlibrary loans? > > What kind of access will be afforded to the State Archives? With a > reduction in staff will lawyers, legislative staff, and other > researchers have as easy an access to these resources as currently > afforded? Will genealogists still have the public access they have > enjoyed? Will the popular Saturday hours continue? How will new > materials for the collection be acquired for the state's genealogy > collection since a portion of the State Library's book budget is > dedicated to that purpose? > > How will FloridaMemory.com be maintained in a DEP setting since it > received some of its support from federal LSTA grants? > > When all of the institutions (State Library, State Archives, Legislative > > Library Services, Records Management and State Records Center) currently > > in the Division of Library and Information Services are no longer > together, how long do you believe that "library grants" and the > consultants in Library Development will survive? One only needs look at > the experience in the Department of Education and the elimination of > consultants for some insight about what may happen. When there is no > longer a "State Library" presence in > Tallahassee, embodied in the R.A. Gray Building, how fast will the > visibility and support for library grants and programs disappear? > > What is going to happen to the Gray Building? Is it to become empty? > > I have been surprised with the SILENCE of the Florida Library > Association about these matters since the news has been out for several > days. Perhaps you should contact the FLA President and find out what > response the Association is going to make to these proposals. I > understand that a meeting called under the auspices of the FLA > Legislative Committee on January 30 at the Leon County Library from 11 > a.m. to 4 p.m. to assist them in developing an FLA response may be > having some difficulties. Are you planning to attend? > Somebody needs to be asking questions. Although I am now retired, as an > honorary life member of FLA I think I have the right to call this > situation to the attention of a wider audience. For those receiving this > > email, I would appreciate your sending it to colleagues on library list > serves and by other means. I no long have the resource to hit a few > buttons and blanket the state with a message. > > Best wishes to all of you!! > Barratt > [email protected] > > > Pam Cooper > FGS/FSGS 2003 Conference Co-Chair < http://www.fgs.org > > President, Florida State Genealogical Society < > http://www.rootsweb.com/~flsgs/ > > Chair, Librarians Serving Genealogists < > http://www.cas.usf.edu/lis/genealib/ > > P. O. Box 7066 > Vero Beach, FL 32961-7066 > > > > > . > >
To take Cheryl's excellent suggestion one step further, go to this site to find e-mail addresses for your legislators: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/ Gov Bush's address is [email protected] Bill Cotterell with the Tallahassee Democrat : [email protected] Now I will shut my big mouth for awhile!! Peggy Munroe ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jack V Butler" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2003 10:51 AM Subject: Re: [FLORIDA] Florida State Library/Archives > Hi everyone - > > I am Jack Butler's wife and you usually don't hear from me. Well never. I > have an idea. When you write you state legislator and the governor, copy > Bill Cotterell at the Tallahassee Democrat in Tallahassee. He is the > paper's gadfly. Jack and I live and work in the Tallahassee area. Believe > me, the legislators read the Tallahassee Democrat - every line. And Bill > Cotterell can really write an opinion piece when he smells something > reeking. > > I think we should give it a shot. Can't hurt. - Cheryl, the silent wife. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Pam Cooper" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2003 9:15 AM > Subject: [FLORIDA] Florida State Library/Archives > > > > Florida's Historical Treasures Are at Risk > > Pam Cooper, FSGS President > > > > I have provided you with some very important information based on > > conversations that I had with Florida State Archives staff; Executive > > Director of the Florida Historical Society, Nick Wynne; Librarians on > > the Florida Library Association listserv; Jim Schnur, Special > > Collections & Archives, Eckerd College; Robert Austin, President of the > > Florida Archaeological Council and reading many, many documents now > > available on the Internet. > > > > In addition, I have contacted and discussed this situation with David > > Rencher, chair of the Records Preservation and Access (RPA) > > http://www.fgs.org/rpa/ He asked me to write a report based on facts > > and it will be posted to the RPA web site. Upon his return from the > > American Library Association conference, he will make further contacts > > in the library field and ask for support from genealogists and > > historians all over the U.S. > > > > The most disheartening letter that I have read in the last four days is > > the letter from our former State Librarian, Barratt Wilkins. He just > > retired last month. Please read his email in its entirety at the end of > > this email. > > > > I am asking for your help. Please write, email, visit your legislators. > > Make them aware of this very grievous error that they are about to > > commit. We cannot lose Florida's treasures. > > > > The Florida State Genealogical Society board has unanimously approved > > joining a coalition to oppose Governor Bush's proposed budget regarding > > the dismantling of the Florida State Library and Archives. > > > > The coalition currently consists of the following organizations: > > . Florida Historical Society > > . Florida Archaeological Council > > . Florida Anthropological Society > > . Florida Trust for Historic Preservation > > . Florida Association of Museums > > > > A statement will be drafted the week of Jan 27. It will be discussed > > among the coalition chairs and the statement will then be finalized and > > sent to the Governor. > > > > Below are the details as I know them today. > > > > Facts > > 1. The Governor has proposed for the 2003-4 budget ZERO dollars for the > > State Library and Information Services > > > http://www.ebudget.state.fl.us/dtlsearchissue.asp?service_id=45400100&pgm_co > mponent_id=0309000000&appr_cat_id=&issue_id=1001000 > > > > 2. It has been proposed that the state library be eliminated and > > transferred to Florida State University in Tallahassee by July 1. > > > > 3. The proposed budget cuts 17.6 million from FSU's state funding and > > President T. K. Wetherell said "The way it looks is that someone wants > > us to assume a responsibility but with no money (provided)." In > > addition, FSU has limited parking, and their own library is lacking so > > much space that they use warehouses. The FSU library would need to hire > > more staff to facilitate the book processing and increased reference > > questions. > > > > 4. The Florida State Library and Archives division is now part of the > > Department of State and is responsible for the state library, the state > > archives, state record keeping and library development services/grants > > programs for public libraries throughout the state. > > > > 5. The proposal for the Bureau of Archives and Records Management is for > > > > the Records Management responsibilities will become a part of the > > Department of Management and the State Archives could fall under the > > parks department of the Department of Environmental Protection. > > > > 6. The FloridaMemory.com project will be in jeopardy. This site now > > contains the photographic collection (over 90,00 pictures), Florida > > Pension Application Files, Spanish Land Grants, Call and Brevard Family > > Papers, and many more documents of Florida's early history. > > > > 7. The Governor's budget must pass the Florida Legislature. Session will > > > > begin March 4. We still have time to change the tide. > > > > Below are newspaper articles via the Internet: > > > > Is state library about to die? - Tallahassee Democrat > > http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/democrat/news/local/5018483.htm > > > > Bush: Agency merger would save millions - Tallahassee Democrat > > http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/democrat/news/local/5000843.htm > > > > Library could be victim of Bush cuts - Orlando Sentinel > > > http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-loclibrary25012503jan25. > story > > > > A LETTER FROM BARRATT WILKINS, RECENTLY RETIRED STATE LIBRARIAN OF THE > > FLORIDA STATE LIBRARY > > > > Folks: > > First, thanks to all for their good wishes on my retirement. I hope to > > see many of you at the Reception on January 30, so we can visit again > > for a short time. I am beginning to settle into my new routines, which > > includes time each day in surfing the Internet and WWW. > > > > During my searching, I came across the Governor's Recommended Budget for > > > > FY2003-04. I assume many of you have seen the e-version of this document > > > > by now. It came out on Tuesday. > > > > One of the most startling changes is the elimination of the Department > > of State and the Department of Community Affairs to form a new > > "Department of State and Community Partnerships". The two departments > > did have a combined workforce of 1026 FTE and a budget of $913,580,202. > > The new Department will have a workforce of 597 FTE and a budget of > > $740,738,101. ALSO, the divisions of Library and Information Services, > > Cultural Affairs, and Historical Resources are eliminated and NOT part > > of the new Department. In fact, it is difficult to find the word > > "library" in the recommended budget. The new Department has a new > > [Division of] Community Planning and Assistance, and within that new > > division there is a new unit called "Community Assistance Grants" which > > has the responsibility to administer grants for community development > > and revitalization ($91.2 million), cultural opportunities ($16.4 > > million for cultural and historic preservation grants), EDUCATIONAL > > SUPPORT ($45.6 million in library grants and library construction), > > executive leadership and support services ($10.1 million -117 positions > > to administer grants); and land resources ($82.3 million). Somewhere > > between 25 and 29 of the positions in executive leadership and support > > services would be assigned administration and support of library grants. > > > > "Educational Support" is made up of the following grants: > > State Aid to Libraries $32.4 million (no change) > > Library Cooperative Grants 1.2 million (no change) > > Library Construction Grants 5,996,157 > > Federal Aid to Libraries 5,996,157 > > > > It would appear that the only staff assigned to administer these grants > > would be the 25-29 positions in current Bureau of Library Development > > and Administration Service units, in the current Division of Library and > > > > Information Services. This would be the ONLY staff! I did learn that an > > error was made in the Governor's Recommended Budget, and that instead of > > > > State Archives and Records Management being transferred to the > > Department of Management Services, it is now proposed to be transferred > > to the Department of Environmental Protection under State Parks and > > Recreation. DEP is going to be the new home for Archives and Records > > Management and the staff will be reduced. I suspect that the Florida > > Memory program as currently funded would be in jeopardy. The state > > Library of Florida (Bureau of Library and Network Services) is slated to > > > > close effective July 1, 2003, with the layoff of all 36 employees in > > that unit. The collections are supposed to go to Florida State > > University, although that university does not have any room to house > > 10.7 linear miles of materials in the State Library. FSU Library > > currently utilizes two warehouses for its overflow collection. The > > closure includes the State Library's operations in the Capitol, called > > "Legislative Library Services". The antecedents of the State Library > > began with Statehood in 1845, and the creation of what became the State > > Library was among the first 15 acts of the new state's legislature. > > Much of the Florida's history is in the collections: > > Florida Collection - contains over 236,000 items including printed > > materials, state government document, maps, and microfilm reels. > > > > There is also an unprecedented 113-file drawer of pamphlets, > > manuscripts, and other materials collected by W.T. Cash, Dorothy Dodd, > > and State Library staff for nearly 80 years. > > > > The Florida collection contains materials acquired by the State Library > > before the Civil War and during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. > > [There is a rumor that this collection would follow the State Archives > > to State Parks and Recreation] > > > > General Collection - contains nearly 900,000 items including bound > > books, federal documents, periodicals, films, 9700+ videos with public > > performance rights, and materials in the legislative library service. [I > > > > have heard that one of the reasons to disburse this > > collection is because it only had some 70,000 circulations from its > > 330,000 bound books collection each year. While this may seem small in > > comparison to public libraries, when one compares the circulation to the > > > > other state libraries in the nation, Florida ranked 10th in circulation. > > > > Florida also ranked 2nd in the nation in reference transactions and 6th > > in public service hours. The State Library is a special library not a > > public library and can only be compared with statistics of the other > > state libraries.] > > > > The concept of the Division of Library and Information Services was to > > be a "one-stop shop" for Florida residents to have free access to > > information about Florida's history, culture, and life in all formats > > including visual images, and provide assistance in the development of > > library, archival, and records management services statewide. > > > > Questions for the library community: > > With the proposed elimination of the State Library and a cost savings of > > > > approximately $3 million annually, what happens to the state documents > > depository program? What happens to Florida's interlibrary loan network > > (FLIN)? Audio-visual services? And will public access to the collections > > > > be preserved in an academic setting? What is the definition of public > > access? > > > > With the elimination of FLIN, will libraries now be allowed to charge > > one another for interlibrary loans? > > > > What kind of access will be afforded to the State Archives? With a > > reduction in staff will lawyers, legislative staff, and other > > researchers have as easy an access to these resources as currently > > afforded? Will genealogists still have the public access they have > > enjoyed? Will the popular Saturday hours continue? How will new > > materials for the collection be acquired for the state's genealogy > > collection since a portion of the State Library's book budget is > > dedicated to that purpose? > > > > How will FloridaMemory.com be maintained in a DEP setting since it > > received some of its support from federal LSTA grants? > > > > When all of the institutions (State Library, State Archives, Legislative > > > > Library Services, Records Management and State Records Center) currently > > > > in the Division of Library and Information Services are no longer > > together, how long do you believe that "library grants" and the > > consultants in Library Development will survive? One only needs look at > > the experience in the Department of Education and the elimination of > > consultants for some insight about what may happen. When there is no > > longer a "State Library" presence in > > Tallahassee, embodied in the R.A. Gray Building, how fast will the > > visibility and support for library grants and programs disappear? > > > > What is going to happen to the Gray Building? Is it to become empty? > > > > I have been surprised with the SILENCE of the Florida Library > > Association about these matters since the news has been out for several > > days. Perhaps you should contact the FLA President and find out what > > response the Association is going to make to these proposals. I > > understand that a meeting called under the auspices of the FLA > > Legislative Committee on January 30 at the Leon County Library from 11 > > a.m. to 4 p.m. to assist them in developing an FLA response may be > > having some difficulties. Are you planning to attend? > > Somebody needs to be asking questions. Although I am now retired, as an > > honorary life member of FLA I think I have the right to call this > > situation to the attention of a wider audience. For those receiving this > > > > email, I would appreciate your sending it to colleagues on library list > > serves and by other means. I no long have the resource to hit a few > > buttons and blanket the state with a message. > > > > Best wishes to all of you!! > > Barratt > > [email protected] > > > > > > Pam Cooper > > FGS/FSGS 2003 Conference Co-Chair < http://www.fgs.org > > > President, Florida State Genealogical Society < > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~flsgs/ > > > Chair, Librarians Serving Genealogists < > > http://www.cas.usf.edu/lis/genealib/ > > > P. O. Box 7066 > > Vero Beach, FL 32961-7066 > > > > > > > > > > . > > > > > >