> --------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: "Lynna Kay Shuffield " <friday@argohouston.com> > To: TX-CEMETERY-PRESERVATION-L@rootsweb.com > Date: Tue, 14 May 2002 17:31:17 -0500 > Subject: [TX-CEMETERY-PRESERVATION] Help Save Clayton Genealogy Library > > 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 > > > ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ > 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 > > > ==== TX-CEMETERY-PRESERVATION Mailing List ==== > Visit the TX-CEMETERY-PRESERVATION website hosted by "Our Loose Ends" > Genealogy Column at: > http://www.geocities.com/lks_friday/CEMETERY-001.htm > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! 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