I am writing in respect to the Library of Michigan, Archives and Museum.

I urge you to find a mechanism to cancel or reverse the Governor’s Executive Order splattering the Library, and collections, to languish in disinterested, unfocused departments with alternative priorities.

I do not think this part of the Governor’s plan of Innovation helps, it damages.

Certainly, I recognize that Michigan is in financial crisis and that a tiny quantity of dollars would be saved ($2 million but only .001% of the deficit last I looked). The presumption, however, those quantities of dollars reflects the value or worth from those dollars reflects poorly on judgment.

The Library of Michigan is Michigan’s “Library of Congress.” Its unique holdings would become an extinct species in the cultural, historical and legal environment that comprises merely 233 years of the last, best hope — America. Replication or restoration is impossible.

Researchers, genealogists and historians, nationwide, are more than mere tourist dollars when they travel to Michigan to use our golden resource.

By way of comparison, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Allen County Public Library draws hundreds of people to their facility year after year just to do genealogical research.  Ft. Wayne has built accommodating facilities for visitors! They sponsor national conventions and multiple yearly events focused on their collection! And this is just a county, not a state.

The Library of Michigan could do the same. 

The governor makes noises about wanting JOBS creation?  What about a few motels/hotels/inns to accommodate visitors demonstrating that Michigan IS an accommodating state where people seeking a pleasant peninsula can look about them?  Oh, conventions to follow, of course.

This is another form of tourism but is the Library of Michigan represented in the tourism brochures? Send me one such brochure, please.

Historically (check in your state library), no state library has EVER been closed, not even during the Great Depression. Threatened, yes; closed, no. Better judgment did prevail then.

“Never” is the time to cut the State’s Library services.

If, however, cooler heads fail to prevail, the least-worst option may be to mothball the library for resuscitation, intact, later. The state library must be kept together and in the same facilities; perhaps included, intact, within the Department of State.

Sincerely,me

i received a hand-annotated reply reflecting agreement of sorts. we shall see.

“For example, the Feb. 12, 2010 memo states that the Library of Michigan will continue to administer the Michigan eLibrary, known as MeLCat, but it’s unclear whether there will be funding for that popular service.”

The Michigan eLibrary (MeL) is *not* known as MeLCat. MeLCat is but one component of the Michigan eLibrary. In addition, MeL.org includes a suite of over 40 subscription full-text databases, a digital Michigan history collection known as MeL Michigana, the Michigan Online Resources for Educators (MORE) which is a portal for educators/parents to find tens of thousands of curricular based materials aligned to the Michigan Content Expectations, and best selected Web sites in MeL’s 7 subject gateways plus Michigan history and featured topics.

Best,
Deb Biggs Thomas
MeL Coordinator
Library of Michigan