According to an editorial in the Tallahassee Democrat yesterday, we are talking about 5.4 mil.....chump change in the state budget. I talked to someone who used to be on the board of the Florida State Museum (also in the RA Gray building but privately funded) and she said it was not long ago that the state spent a bundle (she did not have the figure) to acclimate the building to protect the documents. So that is another BIG consideration when talking about moving the documents to another facility. I was born an optimist, and I believe that if we raise enough hell (pardon my French) we can save the library. GO FLORIDA LIST MEMBERS!!! Peggy Munroe ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jack V Butler" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2003 6:49 AM Subject: Re: [FLORIDA] Florida libraries > In comments in the news yesterday, Jeb Bush said that the scholars who > needed the material would be able to get to it at the university - making it > clear that he does not think public access an issue. > > If you have ever attempted to visit Strozier Library at FSU, you already > know that if more than 3 people at a time try to go, they will find no > parking within any kind of a reasonable walking distance. Also, Strozier > already has two warehouses full of library materials that they have no room > to display. Since Bush did not budget any funds for the Florida Library > materials, how much extra effort do you suppose they would get? > > FSU is not a reasonable alternative unless the move is adequately funded - > and if it is to be funded, then what is the benefit of the move? > > This is either an ill-advised effort to boost his budget negotiation > position, or one of Jeb's more bone-headed moves. > > Jack Butler > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Sydney Cardner" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2003 8:11 PM > Subject: Re: [FLORIDA] Florida libraries > > > > Several things wrong with that. Sounds good on the surface, but not > > really. An article in a nearby newspaper pointed out that access would be > > an issue at a university. For example, when I was taking some recent > > classes at a local college, I could use their materials. When the class > was > > finished, I could not. They would belong to the university not the > state. > > > > Also I understand parking is a problem. Space is a problem. > > > > Further, the FSU funding is almost being cut in half. Why would they want > > to take all that responsibility with no funding being allowed for it. Dr. > > Wetherell just stated that. He as much as said they just could not handle > > it under these circumstances. > > > > The library building is already existing, the archives are there, it > already > > has housing for the state's history, the cost is such a minimal portion of > a > > state budget, it is all already there under one roof. I just can't see > the > > advantage to closing it. It is not just Florida, other states are > > considering that libraries that hold archived materials are expendable. > > > > This was posted to give people an opportunity to let the state legislature > > know their feelings. It is up to each individual whether it bothers them > > enough to speak about it or not. Actually, the Republican legislators I > > talked to yesterday feel the concerns. Their first question was WHY? > Why > > did they cut it out of the budget? That was my first question also. > > > > FSU does not want it when its funding is being so drastically cut, and > they > > will be facing layoffs. I have been told that if it goes under some > other > > departments, it will NOT be accessible to the public in the way it is now. > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "William Caldwell" <[email protected]> > > To: "Sydney Cardner" <[email protected]>; <[email protected]> > > Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2003 1:52 PM > > Subject: Re: [FLORIDA] Florida libraries > > > > > > > Seems like I read somewhere that Florida State University would pick up > > the > > > pieces if the State Library and/or Archives were to disintegrate. If > > true, > > > don't think that that would be a terrible hardship for us genealogers, > > since > > > the 'Noles don't have a bad school and probably would take good care of > > > things. (Could be rough on Game Day, though). The State Museum, if I > > > remember right, is on the UF campus, and it seems to get by OK. > > > > > > Any truth in any of this? > > > > > > > > > William H. Caldwell (FSU '65) > > > 6020 Porter Drive > > > Harrison, Tennessee 37341 > > > 423/344-5674 > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Sydney Cardner <[email protected]> > > > To: [email protected] <[email protected]> > > > Date: Monday, January 27, 2003 4:21 PM > > > Subject: Re: [FLORIDA] Florida libraries > > > > > > > > > >Very very good questions! I just talked to both my state congress > > > people, > > > >or their offices should I say. They seem to be blissfully unaware of > it, > > > >and even asked me for further information. Is anyone irate yet? > > > > > > > >I asked specifically where a governor would get the power to already > tell > > > >the librarians their jobs are ended. I got no answer. > > > > > > > >That was a great question. I was stunned beyond belief to hear them > say > > > >they did not understand what I was talking about. Don't legislators > and > > > >their aides read major papers anymore? > > > > > > > >If people do not get outraged, then this is going to happen. In fact, > > if > > > >their jobs end in July, it may already be done. > > > > > > > >Governor Bush's first figure on the class size amendment costing some > 27 > > > >billion was later forced to be revised, in fact he admitted he was not > > sure > > > >about it. Then he said he was not sure how much it would cost. I > just > > > >wanted to mention that, as it did not get widely publicized. > > > > > > > >Here is the site to visit to contact them. > > > >http://www.leg.state.fl.us/ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >----- Original Message ----- > > > > > > > > > > > >From: "sdmarsh" <[email protected]> > > > >To: <[email protected]> > > > >Sent: Monday, January 27, 2003 9:19 AM > > > >Subject: [FLORIDA] Florida libraries > > > > > > > > > > > >> Okay, I've been following this and planning my letters to Jeb, et al, > > > then > > > >the email below comes along. Am I missing something? If the budget > just > > > >came out, and it hasn't passed the legislature yet, how have they told > > the > > > >librarians their jobs end July 1? Now that is confidence, moxie or > > > whatever > > > >you want to call arrogance. > > > >> > > > >> I have seven lines in Florida before it became a state. I currently > > live > > > >in Texas so I have some experience with the Texas Bush management > style. > > > >Luckily Texans have a strong sense of history. A two semester state > > > history > > > >class is a required subject in college, something Florida should learn > > > from, > > > >if it hasn't already. The Texas shrub never tried to destroy the state > > > >archives, but he sure left a mess in plenty of other "soft" areas. > Like > > > >he's doing at the Federal level now. This really goes beyond closing > > > >libraries and cutting university budgets, but I'll leave that to your > > > >imaginations and not get into too much poilitics. I encourage everyone > > to > > > >get involved. We are still a democracy. If we loose balance between > the > > > >"hard" budget areas and the "soft" ones, we truly loose who we are. > > Every > > > >area of a budget can be made more efficient, but most politicians just > > cut > > > >budgets in the areas they don't appreciate and leave the "scared cows" > > > allow > > > >to get more and more waste! > > > >> ful. It's easy and full of opportunities for rhetoric. > > > >> > > > >> >Those are good links. Thanks. I just noticed in the article from > the > > > >> >Tallahassee Democrat that the librarians have already been told > their > > > >jobs > > > >> >end July 1. This makes it more urgent. > > > >> >Good links. > > > >> >Sydney > > > >> > > > >> Sharon > > > >> Come visit the family (30+ lines online) > > > >> www.roadshometofl.com > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > > > > > >______________________________ > > > > > > > > > > > >