John:

     Is there a chace thar the Virginia Historical and Genealogy Socy
could take over the digital portion of the LVA and offer service for fees
to members? You might be surprised at the number of people who would join
in support. The Kentucky Historical Socy. has something simular. Feel
certain there are other organizations that are doing something similar! The
National Genealogical Socy. gave their library to the St. Louis Library
where their books are available on interlibary loan! Would some type of
interlibrary loan be available?

       Howard Hahn      the ole rascal



 --- On Fri 10/18, John Kneebone  wrote:
From: John Kneebone [mailto: [log in to unmask]]
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2002 16:26:59 -0400
Subject: LVA Reading Rooms Closed, Monday 21 October 2002

> Everyone,
>
> One or another of my colleagues may have already posted this notice,
but
> we
> do not want our friends and patrons to be surprised: PLEASE NOTE: The
> Reading Rooms at the Library of Virginia will be closed to the public
on
> Mondays, beginning with this coming Monday, 21 October 2002. The
Reading
> Rooms will be open to the public from Tuesday through Saturday. This
> action
> is part of the Library's response to the severe budget cuts demanded
from
> it. A full description of the consequences of those budget cuts is
given
> below.
>
> 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.
>
> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the
instructions
> at
> http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html
>


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