The Genealogy & Family History Social Network
LIBRARY OF MICHIGAN
PUBLIC RELEASE
July 15, 2009
To Whom It May Concern:
As you may be aware, Michigan is facing a huge financial crisis. Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm issued Executive Order 2009-36 dissolving the Department of History, Arts & Libraries and splitting the various functions between various other state departments. The Library of Michigan would be transferred to the Department of Education, and the Archives of Michigan would be transferred to the Department of Natural Resources. This order would take effect October 1, 2009.
What is of concern is Section B (8) of the Executive Order that states:
“Unless the Superintendent finds it impracticable, these measures shall include, but not limited to, all of the following:
(a) Eliminating circulation of specific collections (including, but not limited to, the Main, Dewey, and General Reference collections, the Michigan collection, the Michigan Documents collection, and the Rare Book collection) or, alternatively, transferring such collections to other suitable institutions, . . .
(c) Suspending or eliminating participation as a participating lending library in MeLCat,
(d) Eliminating or transferring to other suitable institutions the Federal Documents Depository and the non-Michigan genealogy collection.”
The Executive Order directs the Superintendent of Public Instruction to continue to look for ways to reduce library costs.
Also in the Executive Order is the formation of a committee to look at how to further reduce costs for the next fiscal year. The Executive Order can be reviewed at http://www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-21975---,00.html.
In response to the Executive Order, ten (10) Michigan senators have introduced bills (SB 503 – SB 527) transferring all functions of the Department of History, Arts & Libraries to the Department of State. This would include a separate pot of money from the general fund, held by the Department of Treasury, for any donations. The donations that are not spent at the end of the fiscal year remain in the account and are not transferred to the general fund. These bills are currently in a Senate subcommittee.
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2009-2010/billanalysis/Sena... .
While the Michigan Genealogical Council understands the crises the state is in financially, we feel that breaking up the collection at the Library, which has items dating back to the 1800s, is not the answer. Once this collection is gone, there is no going back. This would be a great loss to the citizens of this state as well as those that come to our state to use this collection. This would also be a blow to all public libraries, as they receive part of their funding from the library and have access to MeLCat, which is the system used for interlibrary loan.
The Council would like to encourage everyone to contact their legislators (in person, by phone, or by mail – snail mail is more effective) to help save one of our most valuable resources. For a listing of Michigan legislators, you can visit the following website:
House (http://house.michigan.gov/find_a_rep.asp)
and Senate (http://senate.michigan.gov/SenatorInfo/find-your-senator.htm).
Please contact your family, friends, coworkers, societies, listserves, and anyone else you can think and encourage them to show their support for the Library and its fabulous collection. Let us band together and save our state’s history.
Thank you for your support,
Cynthia Grostick, President
Michigan Genealogical Council
http://mimgc.org
president@mimgc.org
July 15, 2009
To Whom It May Concern:
As you may be aware, Michigan is facing a huge financial crisis. Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm issued Executive Order 2009-36 dissolving the Department of History, Arts & Libraries and splitting the various functions between various other state departments. The Library of Michigan would be transferred to the Department of Education, and the Archives of Michigan would be transferred to the Department of Natural Resources. This order would take effect October 1, 2009.
What is of concern is Section B (8) of the Executive Order that states:
“Unless the Superintendent finds it impracticable, these measures shall include, but not limited to, all of the following:
(a) Eliminating circulation of specific collections (including, but not limited to, the Main, Dewey, and General Reference collections, the Michigan collection, the Michigan Documents collection, and the Rare Book collection) or, alternatively, transferring such collections to other suitable institutions, . . .
(c) Suspending or eliminating participation as a participating lending library in MeLCat,
(d) Eliminating or transferring to other suitable institutions the Federal Documents Depository and the non-Michigan genealogy collection.”
The Executive Order directs the Superintendent of Public Instruction to continue to look for ways to reduce library costs.
Also in the Executive Order is the formation of a committee to look at how to further reduce costs for the next fiscal year. The Executive Order can be reviewed at http://www.michigan.gov/gov/0,1607,7-168-21975---,00.html.
In response to the Executive Order, ten (10) Michigan senators have introduced bills (SB 503 – SB 527) transferring all functions of the Department of History, Arts & Libraries to the Department of State. This would include a separate pot of money from the general fund, held by the Department of Treasury, for any donations. The donations that are not spent at the end of the fiscal year remain in the account and are not transferred to the general fund. These bills are currently in a Senate subcommittee.
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2009-2010/billanalysis/Sena... .
While the Michigan Genealogical Council understands the crises the state is in financially, we feel that breaking up the collection at the Library, which has items dating back to the 1800s, is not the answer. Once this collection is gone, there is no going back. This would be a great loss to the citizens of this state as well as those that come to our state to use this collection. This would also be a blow to all public libraries, as they receive part of their funding from the library and have access to MeLCat, which is the system used for interlibrary loan.
The Council would like to encourage everyone to contact their legislators (in person, by phone, or by mail – snail mail is more effective) to help save one of our most valuable resources. For a listing of Michigan legislators, you can visit the following website:
House (http://house.michigan.gov/find_a_rep.asp)
and Senate (http://senate.michigan.gov/SenatorInfo/find-your-senator.htm).
Please contact your family, friends, coworkers, societies, listserves, and anyone else you can think and encourage them to show their support for the Library and its fabulous collection. Let us band together and save our state’s history.
Thank you for your support,
Cynthia Grostick, President
Michigan Genealogical Council
http://mimgc.org
president@mimgc.org
Views: 79
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by James P. LaLone on
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Library of Michigan status update:
Below is the board Granholm appointed for the future of the Library building. I do not have contact info for any of these people yet but if you know of their addresses or emails please let us know. My questions would be that 1) since the Library is not self-substaining is the proposed venture self-substaining (by this I mean that there are NO government funds going to the maintenance for it such as the Library) & how will this be done? 2) What will happen to the Library collection? 3) What guarentee is there that the new project will work indefinately and not end up an empty building in a few years? There are many more questions, but I will leave those up to you.
Granholm names four Lansing residents to innovation board
Four Lansing residents are among nine appointments announced today for a board designed to advise Gov. Jennifer Granholm on a proposed state museum in Lansing.
The governor created the board to evaluate Michigan State University’s proposal to transform the building now housing the Michigan Library and Historical Center into the Michigan Center for Innovation and Reinvention. MSU proposed the museum last year.
The new center would be a partnership between MSU, the state, the city of Lansing and other entities to deliver state library services and showcase state and MSU museum exhibits. The board is expected to issue its recommendations to Granholm by June.
Appointees are
Gregory Eaton of Lansing, partner with Karoub Associates;
Michael Flanagan of Lansing, state superintendent of public instruction;
Michael D. Moore of Lansing, president of Moore & Associates, chair of the Delta Township Library Board and member of the Historical Society of Michigan;
Bob Trezise of Lansing, president and CEO of the Lansing Economic Development Corp.;
Kate Pew Wolters of Grand Rapids, president of the Kate and Richard Wolters Foundation and chairperson of the Steelcase Foundation Board;
Ron Boji of Orchard Lake, president of the Boji Group;
Nancy Skowronski of Detroit, former director of the Detroit Public Library and member of the Michigan Library Association;
Rebecca Humphries of Lowell, director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment; and
Michael O. Smith of Farmington, director of the Walter P. Reuther Library at Wayne State University. -
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UPDATE:
Library of Michigan. On Friday, the State Librarian announced the following cuts effective 1 Oct 2010, based on a 23% budget reduction.
1. Elimination of the non-Michigan genealogy collection. Intent is to concentrate on a core curriculum of Michigan material
2. Elimination of the Federal Documents collection.
3. Consolidation of the remaining library material and relocation to the 4th and 5th floors
4. Approx. 1/3 cut in staffing
5. Possibility of leasing space vacated.
As to what will happen with the collections that are being discarded, one possibility includes finding a willing public institution to accept the material. At the moment, the possibility exists that failure to find a willing institute could result in the physical destruction of the collections. It is unclear from a statutory standpoint of what the law permits on the disposal of library assets. In fact it appears that the State is examining this issue as this very moment to determine their options.
This is coming from the State Librarian, not the Governor. Looks like we have another battle on our hands. -
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Unfortunately, there is no latest word. Everything is still up in the air, a report from the MCIR is pending in June (I think). The changes or dismantlement of the LOM will take place Oct. 1. Being under the Education Dpt. as it was originally, has essentially placed the LOM in the status of least favored step-child. It is interesting that the state government provides a budget for the department & Library, then charges a rent for the space the Library uses but does not lower the rent so the Library can continue to function, therefore since the Education Dpt. can‘t afford the rent they are cutting back & moving it to a less costly space. There had been several choices to convert those floors into some profitable venture, but all have fallen through, so that even if the library is moved no revenue will be coming in. The Library is not broken, so why are they trying to “fix” it. The economy is broken.
Those who work or worked for the government are of an opinion that the dismantlement is a done deal and that the MCIR committee is just a smoke screen.
Apparently, the Archives (under the control of the DNR) has asked for the non-Michigan genealogy collection, but nothing official on this. The Dewey books are to be gotten rid of (there are genealogy books in that collection) as well as Fed. Docs., which in fact make up about one-third of the law library (which can’t be gotten rid of). If no one will take the collections not desired then they may try to sell the material or else throw it away (this seems to be unclear also.)
PLEASE keep writing your representative and ask questions why these things are happening. Why are they trying to "fix" unbroken structures & ruin the State's heritage. One 80 some year old gentleman who donated a $30,000 collection of Polish material may see that disapate, the $10,000 French-Canadian collection which was not purchased by the LOM but a gift from the Abrams Foundation will also disappear (it's the only one in the state). Material dealing with the South will also be gotten rid of.
To try and stay in touch with things visit:
http://mimgc.org/LOM.html
http://michigan.gov/documents/dnr/draft_agenda_March_15_314837_7.pdf -
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Latest update:
Hello genealogists,
Below is the latest update from the Michigan Genealogical Council regarding the Library of Michigan, and recent actions taken by the Michigan Legislature affecting the non-Michigan genealogy collection as received from Tom Koselka, Michigan Genealogical Council (http://mimgc.org)
MICHIGAN GENEALOGICAL COUNCIL
P.O. Box 80953
Lansing, MI 48908-0953
http://mimgc.org
June 18, 2010
Dear Fellow Genealogists:
The Michigan Genealogical Council (MGC) would like to take this opportunity to bring everyone
up-to-date on the events surrounding the collections at the Library of Michigan. We would
like to thank everyone for their support as talks progressed.
As many of you are aware, the Library of Michigan is facing a projected 23 percent cut in
funding and a loss of 13 staff positions (in addition to the 16 staff lost resulting from the
Governor’s executive order) by the end of this current fiscal year (September 30, 2010). Due
to this projected loss in staff, Nancy Robertson, State Librarian, is forced to make a difficult
decision. She has had to look at the services the library provides and make some painful
cuts. One of the proposed cuts was to find new stewards for several of their collections,
among them the non-Michigan genealogical collection.
The position of the MGC has always been that any solution must meet the following three (3)
criteria:
1. Keep the collection together under one roof.
2. Keep the collection accessible to the public.
3. Keep the collection under state control and protection.
In January, Governor Granholm announced her appointments to the Michigan Center for
Innovation and Reinvention Board. This board is still working on their recommendation (now
due to the Governor on July 1, 2010). They have made it clear that their focus will be on the
uses of the 2nd and 3rd floor of the building, and will not make any recommendations in
regards to the collections. MGC representative, Dr. Frank Boles, has attended every meeting
and has done everything possible to express the position of the Council. We would like to
thank Dr. Boles for all his hard work and efforts on our behalf.
During this time, the Michigan Historical Center expressed an interest in moving the non-
Michigan collection to the State Archives. This plan was endorsed by the MGC as it met all
three of our criteria, and we applaud both the Department of Natural Resources and
Environment and the Department of Education for being willing to work together to find a
solution.
The cost of the move is between $80,000 - $100,000. Due to many generous donations, no
tax payer dollars would be needed to fund the cost of this move. The Michigan Genealogical
Council has received permission from the Abrams Foundation to use $10,000 of money that
was earmarked for the death record project to be diverted to this move. MGC also pledged
$5,000 of its own money to this effort.
Many local societies are also willing to donate money, if needed. Pledges of support come in
weekly. The MGC knows of, and would like to thank, the following societies that have pledged
their support:
Ingham County Genealogical Society
Jackson County Genealogical Society
Lenawee County Family Researchers
Mid Michigan Genealogical Society
Genealogical Society of Monroe County
Stockbridge Area Genealogical/Historical Society
Genealogical Society of Washtenaw County
Unfortunately, in March the Senate added language to the 2010-2011 Education Appropriation
bill (SB 1154) that states the following:
Sec. 804. The department and library of Michigan shall maintain custody of all
collections maintained, housed, owned, or otherwise kept by the library of Michigan in
fiscal year 2009-2010, and shall not sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of those
collections. The department and library of Michigan need not make the non-
Michigan genealogy or federal documents collections available to the public.
The MGC has problems with this legislation. First, there was no additional funding, so it
almost guarantees that the non-Michigan genealogical collection will not be made available to
the public, and secondly it does not allow the transfer to the Archives, which would be able to
keep the collection open to the public.
While well intentioned by the legislature, this has put negotiations on hold between the
departments of Education and Natural Resources and Environment.
While this bill is currently in committee to negotiate the house and senate versions, this
wording is not up for debate as this section of the bill was passed by both the House and the
Senate. Therefore, this language will be heading to the Governor once the final bill is passed.
The major attraction at the Library of Michigan is not only the collections, but also the
knowledgeable staff. If the non-Michigan genealogy collection is allowed to go dark, we will
lose more than just access to the collection, the staff will be diminished. The genealogists in
this state will have an uphill battle to open these collections and to reassemble a
knowledgeable staff.
Currently, we are in a holding pattern, along with the library and archives, while we let the
budget process play out. We are also keeping our eye on the MCIR board, and look forward
to reading their recommendations to the Governor.
We will keep you informed as the process progresses. We hope to have more information in
the next month.
In solidarity, [signed]
Cynthia S. Grostick
President of MGC
Thomas G. Koselka
MGC Corresponding Secretary &
Legislative Liaison -
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From: Tom Koselka [mailto:tom@mimgc.org]
Sent: 28 July, 2010 6:35 AM
Subject: MGC: Clarification of MCIR Board Statement
Dear Genealogists,
There has been some confusion and some misinterpretation about the MCIR
Board report released by Governor Granholm. With so much uncertainty
surrounding the collections and the Library of Michigan this past year,
rumors and misinterpretations increase exponentially each time they are
repeated.
The MCIR Board was appointed to serve in an advisory capacity to the
Governor. We are pleased with their conclusions and recommendations
regarding the genealogical collections at the Library of Michigan (LM);
however, the recommendations are just that; advisory recommendations. The
Governor will decide if she wishes to follow those recommendations.
Also, this is only one piece in the puzzle in the future of the collections
at the Library of Michigan. The Michigan Department of Education (MDE), is
the department responsible for the administration of the Library. They do
this following the mandates and budget guidelines given them by the Governor
and any legislation passed and signed into law by the Governor.
Unfortunately, with a projected 23 percent cut in funding proposed for
fiscal year 2010-2011 (beginning October 1, 2010), MDE and the Library of
Michigan have difficult choices to make. These were spelled out in their
February 12 memo that detailed how MDE and LM were going to comply with the
cost saving measures dictated by the two Executive Orders issued last year,
and still maintain a high-level of service and accessibility with their core
collections.
Randy Riley, Special Collections Manager for the Library of Michigan issued
the following statement recently to clarify several misunderstandings and
faulty conclusions:
"The state's current budget situation has required the Library of Michigan
focus more closely on our core missions of collecting/documenting the
history and heritage of Michigan and maintaining materials that assist state
government agencies in doing their work. Facing a 23% reduction in the
budget for the next fiscal year, the Library has been forced to re-examine
every program and service. The Library's staff will be "weeding" the Dewey
and Main Collections in an effort to keep items that "fit" the core mission.
After staff have thoroughly gone through the Dewey (4th floor) and Main (3rd
floor) Collections and pulled items that align with our primary mission,
Michigan libraries will be invited in to claim the remaining parts of those
collections. The change of hours is temporary. It will allow staff to have
the necessary time to work with the collections and evaluate the materials
in question.
NO PLANS ARE IN PLACE AT THIS TIME TO MOVE THE NON-MICHIGAN FAMILY HISTORY
COLLECTION TO THE ARCHIVES OR ANY OTHER INSTITUTION. Staff will only be
working with the Dewey and Main Collections during the reduced hours. The
family history collection will be accessible 1-5 (M-F) and 10-5 on Saturdays
until September 7. Regular hours will resume on the 7th. If you have
questions contact the Library of Michigan at (517) 373-1300 or
librarian@michigan.gov.
Thanks for your support and kind wishes."
As Randy has stated, currently nothing has changed as far as the
availability of the genealogy collections at the Library of Michigan. Hours
of operation will be TEMPORARILY reduced from Aug 2 thru September 3 to
permit staff to prepare the Main (third floor) and Dewey (fourth floor)
collections to be distributed to other Michigan Libraries. Items of
genealogical and historical significance are being separated by staff to be
added to the Michigan and Genealogy-both Michigan and non-Michigan -
collections.
Nothing will be resolved until a new budget passes. When this happens,
final decisions will be made by the Library administration on the future
hours, staffing, and services offered by the Library of Michigan. Anything
offered up before that is only speculation.
For the latest factual information about Library of Michigan operations,
collections and services, visit http://michigan.gov/libraryofmichigan. You
may also contact them by phone (517) 373-1300 or e-mail
librarian@michigan.gov.
We will continue to update you as the situation necessitates.
Best wishes,
Tom Koselka, Legislative Liaison
Michigan Genealogical Council
http://mimgc.org -
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