[BHC] The Library Admininstration Just Blinked

[John P. DuLong]

Hello Folks,

I just got word from Diane Haddad, Managing Editor, Family Tree Magazine, that
the Detroit Public Library has issued a new FAQ.  (Ms. Haddad is doing a story
about this whole usage fee issue.)  The library administration has backed down
a little with three new concessions:

5. What about customers who only visit the library once or twice a year to
use the special collections. Will they have to pay $100?

DPL values the customers who make special trips to Detroit to use the special
collections. These customers can pay a daily use fee of $10 per day, to use any
of the special collections. A daily use fee does not allow borrowing privileges.

6. How do you define “access to the special collections?” Does this mean
that people will not be allowed to enter the special collections, even if
they only want to look around?

At present, the Hackley Collection is by appointment only and will continue to
be that way. The Burton and NAHC collections will remain free to browsers. Any
staff assistance will require a library card or a daily use fee.

21. Will library volunteers pay for a library card?
No. Library volunteers receive the same library borrowing privileges as DPL
employees.

You can view the new FAQ for yourself at
http://detroit.lib.mi.us/About_DPL/graphics/THE%20DETROIT%20PUBLIC%20LIBRARY.pdf

Although these changes are welcomed and would be perfectly appropriate for a
PRIVATE library, the usage fee still violates our access to a public library as
guranteed by the consitution of the state of Michigan.  Furthermore, the
concession allowing us to browse the reading room of the Burton does us very
little good since most of the materials are in closed stacks.

Now I need to know from you what we should do? Should we still go ahead with the
donation boycott?  Should we modify the Plan of Action?  Should we postpone the
informational picket?

I need to hear from as many of you as possible as soon as possible.  Unless
otherwise advised by most of you, it is still my plan to call Ms. Skowronski
today and ask for a meeting to negotiate a better outcome for us.  However, I
will wait until after lunch to call her.

I want to thank Ms. Haddad and Family Tree Magazine for taking an interest in
our case.  Also, I want to thank all of you who have made your strong
opposition to this usage fee clear by endorsing our Plan of Action.  I count
this as at least a partial victory for us.  However, I think we still have to
go much further.  Lastly, I want to thank any library insiders who helped push
through these three changes.

My Best Regards to All of You,

JP

John P. DuLong, Ph.D.
Acadian and French Canadian Genealogy
959 Oxford Road
Berkley, MI 48072-2011
(248) 541-2894
http://habitant.org