Thank you Bill. I was in Meadville last April and I know I only scratched the surface of the information that is being held there in the historical society. I used the microfilm reader in the library and didn't realize the rift. It would be a great shame to lose the historical society to a storage facility somewhere. Has anyone thought of reorganization? Joint ownership? I realize the library probably feels growing pains, but the loss of all of that wonderful material would be a huge loss for the library. Would a newer facility be out of the question? Kathy --- Bill Moore <[email protected]> wrote: > Kathy: > I won't pretend to be a disinterested reporter of > the Library-Historical > Society feud, since I've been a director of the > Historical Society off and > on for the last 20+ years. But since you asked what > is going on, I thought > I'd try to explain. > The Meadville Public Library [MPL] leadership has > decided that the Crawford > Co. Historical Society [CCHS] is a freeloading > tenant in the MPL building, > since the MPL supplies one 20-hr./week staff member > free of charge to the > CCHS, and the CCHS pays no rent for the space. The > MPL wants the CCHS space > for library purposes, and wants to move CCHS into > another library building 3 > blocks away, and start charging the CCHS for staff > and utilities. > The CCHS cannot afford the cost [which would be > about $20,000/yr. according > to figures guess-timated by MPL last year, and that > is more than 20% of the > CCHS' present budget of $90,000/yr.] The CCHS has a > modest endowment, and > not many sources of income, so it is a struggle to > meet the budget every > year as it is. > The CCHS' position is that BOTH the CCHS and the MPL > are PART of the > Meadville Library, Art and Historical Association > [MLAHA]. The MLAHA was > set up in 1879, and at that point included the MPL, > the CCHS, and the now > defunct Natural History Society and Art Society. > The current building > [built in 1925] is titled to the MLAHA, and > originally housed the MPL, CCHS > and the Art Society. Contributions to the MLAHA and > its endowment were made > by persons interested in any or all of the three > organizations, as well as > to the parts individually. The MPL leadership is > now claiming that it is > the SOLE owner of the MLAHA building and endowment, > and that's why the CCHS > has no right to be there. The CCHS claims that it > is part of the MLAHA [as > is the MPL] so it has a right to part of the > building where it has been for > 75 years--rent-free--as well as income from its part > of the MLAHA endowment > which should cover staff and upkeep costs. A > gentleman in his 90's recently > wrote to the editor of the Tribune and said he > remembered the fund-raising > campaign for the new building in 1925 and it was > based on support for all > three groups--the MPL, CCHS and Art Society--and NOT > just the MPL. > So that's the bone of contention. The CCHS would > very seriously consider > moving to other quarters to accomodate the MPL's > space needs, if the CCHS > could obtain the other space on the same terms as > its present location--a > free staff person and no rent. The MPL doesn't want > to continue to provide > the staff and space, and so the disagreement. > Personally, I think it would cost the MPL > substantially to build up a > collection of historical books if the CCHS were no > longer there. If the > CCHS does have to leave the library building, and > cannot afford the other > space offered, I really don't know where it can go. > Probably mostly into > storage. CCHS does own an historic house--the > Baldwin/Reynolds House > museum--but, like most houses, its floors are not > built to carry the weight > of shelving, and the basement is too damp for > book/document storage. > If anyone would like to voice an opinion one way or > the other--or offer > suggestions--the appropriate persons would be: > Ms. Gerry Deane Mr. > Stephen Mizner > President, CCHS > President, MPL/MLAHA > neither has a listed telephone number, so I presume > the address for both > should be 848 N. Main St., Meadville, PA 16335. > Bill Moore > Secretary, CCHS __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! News - Today's headlines http://news.yahoo.com

Here in Carlsbad, CA we had a lovely genealogical library sharing the mezanine at the Carlsbad Library. Since California is growing by leaps and bounds the city fathers decided to build a new main library and keep the original library as a branch. The genealogical library had outgrew the space that they were allowed on the mezanine floor. Now that the city has a new main library the genealogical library is now housed on the entire mezanine floor giving them much needed space. I have not been to Meadville and do not know the size of the town or the possibility of closed shops or buildings and etc. I suggest that you get a committee together of one or two, visit some of your more wealthy individuals that might own a building and see if they would donate the building to the historical society. Put an ad in the paper. You never kow what might turn up. In Wright Co., MO someone (who owned the building) donated an old, closed bank building to their historical society. They have a lovely sight across from the court house. This benefits you (the genealogical/historical society), the owner of the building, and the town. Where there is a will, there is a way. Sharie Oceanside, CA ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kathy Barnes" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2002 6:13 AM Subject: Re: [Crawf'rd] report on trip to Crawford Co. > Thank you Bill. I was in Meadville last April and I > know I only scratched the surface of the information > that is being held there in the historical society. I > used the microfilm reader in the library and didn't > realize the rift. It would be a great shame to lose > the historical society to a storage facility > somewhere. > > Has anyone thought of reorganization? Joint > ownership? > I realize the library probably feels growing pains, > but the loss of all of that wonderful material would > be a huge loss for the library. Would a newer facility > be out of the question? > > Kathy > > > --- Bill Moore <[email protected]> wrote: > > Kathy: > > I won't pretend to be a disinterested reporter of > > the Library-Historical > > Society feud, since I've been a director of the > > Historical Society off and > > on for the last 20+ years. But since you asked what > > is going on, I thought > > I'd try to explain. > > The Meadville Public Library [MPL] leadership has > > decided that the Crawford > > Co. Historical Society [CCHS] is a freeloading > > tenant in the MPL building, > > since the MPL supplies one 20-hr./week staff member > > free of charge to the > > CCHS, and the CCHS pays no rent for the space. The > > MPL wants the CCHS space > > for library purposes, and wants to move CCHS into > > another library building 3 > > blocks away, and start charging the CCHS for staff > > and utilities. > > The CCHS cannot afford the cost [which would be > > about $20,000/yr. according > > to figures guess-timated by MPL last year, and that > > is more than 20% of the > > CCHS' present budget of $90,000/yr.] The CCHS has a > > modest endowment, and > > not many sources of income, so it is a struggle to > > meet the budget every > > year as it is. > > The CCHS' position is that BOTH the CCHS and the MPL > > are PART of the > > Meadville Library, Art and Historical Association > > [MLAHA]. The MLAHA was > > set up in 1879, and at that point included the MPL, > > the CCHS, and the now > > defunct Natural History Society and Art Society. > > The current building > > [built in 1925] is titled to the MLAHA, and > > originally housed the MPL, CCHS > > and the Art Society. Contributions to the MLAHA and > > its endowment were made > > by persons interested in any or all of the three > > organizations, as well as > > to the parts individually. The MPL leadership is > > now claiming that it is > > the SOLE owner of the MLAHA building and endowment, > > and that's why the CCHS > > has no right to be there. The CCHS claims that it > > is part of the MLAHA [as > > is the MPL] so it has a right to part of the > > building where it has been for > > 75 years--rent-free--as well as income from its part > > of the MLAHA endowment > > which should cover staff and upkeep costs. A > > gentleman in his 90's recently > > wrote to the editor of the Tribune and said he > > remembered the fund-raising > > campaign for the new building in 1925 and it was > > based on support for all > > three groups--the MPL, CCHS and Art Society--and NOT > > just the MPL. > > So that's the bone of contention. The CCHS would > > very seriously consider > > moving to other quarters to accomodate the MPL's > > space needs, if the CCHS > > could obtain the other space on the same terms as > > its present location--a > > free staff person and no rent. The MPL doesn't want > > to continue to provide > > the staff and space, and so the disagreement. > > Personally, I think it would cost the MPL > > substantially to build up a > > collection of historical books if the CCHS were no > > longer there. If the > > CCHS does have to leave the library building, and > > cannot afford the other > > space offered, I really don't know where it can go. > > Probably mostly into > > storage. CCHS does own an historic house--the > > Baldwin/Reynolds House > > museum--but, like most houses, its floors are not > > built to carry the weight > > of shelving, and the basement is too damp for > > book/document storage. > > If anyone would like to voice an opinion one way or > > the other--or offer > > suggestions--the appropriate persons would be: > > Ms. Gerry Deane Mr. > > Stephen Mizner > > President, CCHS > > President, MPL/MLAHA > > neither has a listed telephone number, so I presume > > the address for both > > should be 848 N. Main St., Meadville, PA 16335. > > Bill Moore > > Secretary, CCHS > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! News - Today's headlines > http://news.yahoo.com > > > ==== PACRAWFO Mailing List ==== > NO Virus warnings, seasonal greetings or private 'chit-chat' on this > list, okay! 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