Mr. Kneebone,
Is there anything at all that the public can do to help the library? I know
the cuts have already been decided, but perhaps there is something we can do as
far as writing letters to public officials or in other ways.
Thank you.
Beth
[log in to unmask]
> Everyone,
>
> I appreciate Ray Bonis's kind words about Virginia Cavalcade and about the
> Digital Library Program at the Library of Virginia. Below is the text of the
> Library's statement of what the state of Virginia's budget cutting has cost
> us. One of the costs is, sadly, Virginia Cavalcade, which, as Ray observed,
> has been publishing lively and accurate articles about Virginia history and
> culture for more than 50 years.
>
> Having been involved in the deliberations of the Library's senior management
> about what to do in the face of inexorable demands for brute dollar amounts
> in cuts, I can assure you all that the decision making was extremely
> difficult and done with great seriousness and sorrow. The text below gives
> the results.
>
> But, there are still great people at the Library of Virginia, which remains
> a great institution. Your support as they prepare to carry on after this
> devastation is important.
>
> John
>
> Library of Virginia Service Reduction Summary
>
>
> The Library of Virginia - the Commonwealth of Virginia's official research
> library and archival repository serving government officials, state and
> local agencies, public libraries, college faculty, students, historians, and
> genealogists - has experienced several rounds of budget reductions during
> the past two years. The cumulative effect has been a 28 percent permanent
> reduction in the Library's overall general fund appropriation (22 percent of
> that occurring with the 7 and 15 percent reductions this fiscal year). The
> Library has had to absorb a disproportionate amount of these cuts internally
> rather than pass them on in full measure to localities and other state
> agencies that receive funding through the Library's budget. Thus, the net
> effect of the past two years (including the 15 percent reduction announced
> by Governor Warner this week) has been a loss to the Library's operating
> budget of a staggering 39 percent.
>
> Among the painful outcomes of our current fiscal situation are the
>
> Layoff of 23 full- time staff (out of a maximum employment level of 216)
> and 17 part-time staff, with an additional 19 vacant positions that will not
> be filled - leaving a total staffing shortfall of 59 valued individuals
>
> Reduction of collection development budget (purchasing of books,
> manuscripts, journals, and databases) by 45 percent
>
> Reduction of hours of operation in the reading rooms by one day per week.
> The reading rooms will be open to researchers Tuesday through Saturdays
> (with limited staffing on Saturdays), but will be closed to researchers on
> Mondays.
>
> Elimination of the Digital Library Program, which has allowed the Library to
> make heavily-used collections available to researchers through the Library's
> web site
>
> Elimination of the Imaging Services Program, which for decades has conducted
> all preservation microfilming for the Library, its patrons, and numerous
> local agencies
>
> Elimination of the Virginia Center for the Book Program
>
> Elimination of all state funding for the Infopowering the Commonwealth
> initiative, which provides citizens and libraries access to a wide array of
> key information databases
>
> Elimination of Educational Programs, including teacher workshops, tours for
> K through 12 students, and other activities that open the Library's
> resources to a younger audience
>
> Elimination of the Publications Division as a separate organizational unit,
> with key editorial functions and staff consolidated within another division
>
> Elimination of Virginia Cavalcade magazine, the Library's award-winning
> quarterly magazine published continuously since 1951
>
> Elimination of all planning for 2007 related projects
>
> Elimination of the Building and Construction Grants program and consulting
> services that have supported and assisted local libraries with planning and
> oversight of major construction initiatives
>
> Reduction by 22 percent of state funding for local libraries, which is
> administered through
> the Library of Virginia's budget. This will have a serious impact on the
> hours, book buying,
> and staffing of local libraries across the Commonwealth
>
> Significant reduction of the State Documents Depository Program, which
> provides citizens
> with access to state publications through local libraries
>
> Significant reduction in services to state agency libraries
>
> Significant slippage in archival processing targets addressing the
> collections backlog
>
> Significant delays in processing photo duplication orders and on-line
> research and reference requests for researchers
>
> The Library staff is committed to maintaining fundamental services to our
> many users. This difficult budgetary situation unravels much of what has
> been accomplished during the last decade, and further reductions will erode
> the agency's ability to function effectively as the reference library at the
> seat of government, archival agency of the Commonwealth, and advocate for
> Virginia's library community.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ray Bonis [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Friday, October 18, 2002 12:06 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: End of Virginia Cavalcade?
>
>
> I am sure most subscribers to the Virginia History (VA-HIS) Online
> Listserve would be sorry to hear that the Virginia Cavalcade -- the
> "illustrated magazine of Virginia history and culture" -- was to end its
> 51 year history of publication. Unfortunately,
> that seems to be the case. According to yesterday's Richmond
> Times-Dispatch, the
> magazine, published by the Library of Virginia, is to be another
> casualty of state
> budget cuts.
>
> I hope those who are in charge of making decisions that affect the
> publication of the
> Virginia Cavalcade re-think this decision. The magazine has been an
> excellent
> source for those interested in Virginia's history. One look at the
> online index to the
> magazine would convince even the most skeptical person of that (one
> could easily argue that the magazine has only gotten better in the last
> 10 years). For many
> Virginians (and those outside the state), the Virginia Cavalcade was
> their introduction to the history of the Commonwealth and to the
> resources of the Archives at the Library of Virginia
>
> This comes on top of other budget cuts at the Library of Virginia --
> including major
> staff cuts and the elimination of the Digital Library Program. Will
> the numerous
> online databases of images, text, and indices to holdings at the Library
> of Virginia be
> the next resource cut? What about the fate of the Virginia History
> Listserve? Is History under attack in Virginia?
>
>
> Ray Bonis,
> Richmond, VA
>
> --
>
> ~~~
>
> Ray Bonis
> Assistant Archivist
> Special Collections and Archives
> James Branch Cabell Library
> 901 Park Ave. VCU Box 842033
> Richmond, VA 23284-2033
>
> (804) 828-1108
> [log in to unmask]
> www.library.vcu.edu/jbc/speccoll/speccoll.html
>
> ~~~~
>
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