----- Original Message ----- From: Nancy T R I C E" Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2003 12:11 AM Subject: [KYGEN] >From the Florida Historical Society Website: http://www.floridahistory.info/petition/ I signed the petition mentioned below. I think it's a shame that Jeb Bush is planning on doing this and worry about the other states following suit. Please consider signing it too. The deadline is Feb 28. Regards, nt -------------------------------------------------- ----- Gov. Bush's proposed budget includes plans for the reorganization of the departments of State and Community Affairs. A particular concern is his proposal to close the state library and dismantle and disburse its collections. The people of Florida will lose a great deal by the moving of the state library's collections (in particular the archives, the Florida collection, and the state documents collection and depository program). The state universities, specifically FSU, are not funded, staffed or equipped with space to provide services to the people of Florida as well as the state library does. The ready access to the collections that we, the public, currently enjoy would be severely limited. Our state library is nationally known and respected. It would be a great loss for Florida to dismantle its state library at the same time that many states are strengthening theirs through additional funding and public support. Please ask our senators and representatives to support the state library by restoring funding for it to the budget. Don't let our state be known for its lack of support for its libraries, literacy and historical documents. Let us be known instead as a state of readers by keeping our wonderful state library alive and thriving. -------------------------------------------------- ----- Petition to Save Florida State Archives The following article is from Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and is copyright 2003 by Richard W. Eastman. It is re-published here with the permission of the author. Information about the newsletter is available at http://www.RootsForum.com. Two weeks ago I wrote about Governor Jeb Bush's plans to close and dismantle the Florida State Archives. This would be a terrible blow for genealogists. First of all, anyone researching Florida ancestors would lose one of the most valuable resources available. Second, additional genealogists would be hurt when other state governments decide to follow Bush's cost-cutting measures and begin closing other archives and state libraries around the country. Genealogists are not the only ones affected. The Florida State Genealogical Society, Florida Historical Society, Florida Archaeological Council, Florida Anthropological Society, Florida Trust for Historic Preservation and the Florida Association of Museums are all banding together to defeat this threat. You can read my article on this at: http://www.rootsforum.com/archives/news0305.htm#Fl oridaTreasuresAtRisk The Florida Historical Society has created a website to collect electronic signatures for a petition about the State Library of Florida closing. Genealogists and others around the world are encouraged to sign this petition. It will then be sent to Governor Bush and members of the State Legislature on February 28, 2003. I added my name to the petition this week, and I would like to ask you to add your name as well. To add your name to this petition, go to: http://www.floridahistory.info/petition/