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 > > ~~~~ > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions > at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions > at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html