> > >Lynna Kay Shuffield wrote: >================================================== >Please forward this e-mail to every genealogy and >historical researcher you know and ask for his or >her immediate support and help with this issue. Send >it to family members. Send it to members of your >genealogy or historical society members. > >Permission to reprint this article is given without >any reservations. > >= = = = = = = = IMMEDIATE RELEASE= = = = = = = = > >Help Save Clayton Genealogy Library > >By Lynna Kay Shuffield > >Houston, Tex., May 14 - One of the top 10-genealogy >libraries in the United States, the Clayton Library >Center for Genealogical Research (known as the >Clayton Library) of the Houston Public Library (HPL) >is in danger and will suffer drastic cutbacks in >operating hours beginning July 1, 2002 when the >library will only be open for research for 3-hours, >1-night per week versus the current 4-hours, 3- >nights per week. > >This will result in the loss of almost 475 evening >research hours per year for the public and library >patrons. For many researchers, genealogy is a hobby >and most work a full-time job (40-hour per week from >8am-5pm). > >Clayton Library patrons who use the library during >the evening hours will go from 625-hours of >available research hours per year (5pm-9pm, 4-hours, >3-nights per week) to a gross of 155-hours per year >(5pm-8pm, 3-hours, 1-night per week). > >Please keep in mind when you get off from work at >5pm, in Houston rush-hour traffic and road >construction, you generally can’t make it to Clayton >Library before 6pm. So, using the formula of >arriving after work at 6pm, patrons will >realistically only have 2-hours (6pm-8pm), 1-day per >week for a total of 104-hours (2x52) of evening >research time per year. > >You must also reduce 104-hours even more because >most Clayton Library services, e.g., photocopiers, >microprinters, restrooms, etc. end 15-mintues before >closing thus reducing another 13-hours per year >(15x52÷60) from evening research time. Resulting in >the net number of evening hours available to >researchers at Clayton Library to 91-hours per year. > >Many people say reduction in hours this is a Houston >or regional issue. Not so! Clayton Library serves >approximately 72,000 individuals every year from all >over the United States who travel to this specific >library to conduct research. Also, it is critical to >remember, Clayton Library is a non-circulating >collection and no books or microfilm can be check- >out and used at home. > >Additionally, Library Administrators and City >Officials have failed to consider impact to Clayton >Library’s nationwide stature and standing by this >drastic reduction in research hours. > >Not only is the reduction in hours going to affect >researchers, it is also going to have an economic >impact on the City of Houston. > >According to the “Historic Preservation at Work for >the Texas Economy,” individuals who visit your >community for genealogy or historic purposes, spend >an additional $29 per day, over and above what they >would normally spend just visiting for personal or >business reasons, and, in addition, they stay longer >than non-heritage travelers. > >Reducing Clayton Library hours might solve the >library’s budget shortfalls, but it is going to >cause an even greater impact to Houston’s public >image and economy. > >Why the reduction in library hours at Clayton >Library? In Staff Town Hall Meetings conducted today >by the HPL, the reason for the cutbacks is >because “there is major budget crisis.” The 18-page >handout given out at the meeting suggests staff >members are not to take complaints from patrons >regarding cutbacks of library hours or services. >Staff members are to direct patrons to contact >members of Houston City Council or their >neighborhood civic club or association so they >can “express positive support for restoring the >library’s budget so hours and services can be >restored.” > >Why the drastic reduction in Clayton Library hours? >The Library Administration claims it is due to the >surge of Internet genealogical research and >therefore there is no longer a need for hands-on >original research. This is a diminutive argument in >that good genealogy researchers realize that relying >solely on Internet research is not “good research” >and you only have access to the vast majority to >books and records at a library. > >It is important to note that Clayton Genealogy >Library will be experiencing the most drastic and >severe cutbacks of any branch of the Houston Public >Library System. Most local branch libraries will >only see an average reduction of 2-hours per week or >a loss of 105 hours per year and the Downtown Main >Library will only loose 3-hours per week or a total >of 156 hours per year whereas Clayton Library will >see a reduction of almost 475-hours per year. > >What can you do to help? Write, call or e-mail all >of the following and voice your “positive support” >to stop the reduction of Clayton Library hours and >keeping it open three-nights per week. > >-- please offset following in box -- > >Website for Clayton Genealogy Library >< http://www.hpl.lib.tx.us/clayton/ > > >Website for Clayton Library Friends (a tax-exempt, >IRS 501(3)(c) non-profit organization that supports >the library) >< http://www.hpl.lib.tx.us/clayton/clf.html > > >Barbara Gubbin, Executive Director, Houston Public >Library System, 500 McKinney, 4th Floor, Houston, >Texas 77002, telephone: 832/393-1325 or e-mail >< barbara.gubbin@cityofhouston.net >. > >Editor, Houston Chronicle newspaper: Viewpoints, >Houston Chronicle, P. O. Box 4260, Houston, Texas >77210 or e-mail < viewpoints@chron.com >. > >City of Houston Elected Officials webpage at >< http://www.ci.houston.tx.us/citygovt/council/ > > >The mailing address for all the below listed City of >Houston Elected Officials: P. O. Box 1562, Houston, >Texas 77251: > >Lee P. Brown, Mayor of the City of Houston, in >Houston telephone 311 or e-mail >< mayor@cityofhouston.net > > >Annise Parker, City Council At Large Position 1, e- >mail >< atlarge1@cityofhouston.net > > >Gordon Quan, City Council At Large Position 2, e- >mail >< atlarge2@cityofhouston.net > > >Shelly Sekula Rodriguez, M.D., City Council At Large >Position 3, e-mail >< atlarge3@cityofhouston.net > > >Michael Berry, City Council At Large Position 4, e- >mail >< atlarge4@cityofhouston.net > > >Carroll G. Robinson, City Council At Large Position >5, e-mail >< atlarge5@cityofhouston.net > > >Bruce Tatro, City Council Dist. A, e-mail >< bruce.tatro@cityofhouston.net > > >Carol Mims Galloway, City Council Dist. B, e-mail >< districtb@cityofhouston.net > > >Mark Goldberg, City Council Dist. C, e-mail >< districtc@cityofhouston.net > > >Ada Edwards, City Council Dist. D, e-mail >< districtd@cityofhouston.net > > >Addie Wiseman, City Council Dist. E, e-mail >< districte@cityofhouston.net > > >Mark Ellis, City Council Dist. F, e-mail >< districtf@cityofhouston.net > > >Bert Keller, City Council Dist. G, e-mail >< districtg@cityofhouston.net > > >Gabriel Vasquez, Ph.D., City Council Dist. H, e-mail >< districth@cityofhouston.net > > >Carol Alvarado, City Council Dist. I, e-mail >< districti@cityofhouston.net > > >-- 30 -- > > > > > >~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ >Lynna Kay Shuffield >P. O. Box 16604 >Houston, Texas 77222 > telephone: 713/692-4511 > e-mail: friday@argohouston.com >---My webpages--- >'Our Loose Ends' Genealogy Column by Lynna Kay >Shuffield >http://www.geocities.com/lks_friday/COLUMN-001.htm > >'My Loose Ends' Family Tree Database by Lynna Kay >Shuffield >http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi- >bin/igm.cgi?db=friday > >Note above URL wraps around onto the next line, cut >& paste it onto the end of the first line in >the 'location box' on your browser. > >'Milam County War Dead Project' >http://www.geocities.com/lks_friday/ > >County Coordinator for the Milam County TXGenWeb >http://www.geocities.com/milamco/ > >County Coordinator for the San Jacinto County >TXGenWeb >http://www.geocities.com/lks_friday/SANJAC-01.htm > >TX-CEMETERY-PRESERVATION >http://www.geocities.com/lks_friday/CEMETERY-001.htm > > > > >==== TXMILAM Mailing List ==== >Milam County, Texas GenWeb page >http://www.geocities.com/milamco/ > >============================== >To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy >records, go to: >http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > > >==== CLOUD Mailing List ==== > .............................................................. > Join the Cloud Family Association: http://mykindred.com/cloud/