From dulongj at habitant.org Mon Sep 6 16:51:19 2004 From: dulongj at habitant.org (John P. DuLong) Date: Mon Sep 6 16:48:38 2004 Subject: [BHC] Next Detroit Library Commission Meeting Message-ID: Hello Folks, Some of you told me you wanted to attend the next Detroit Library Commission meeting to protest the usage fee. Well you have a chance at 1:30pm on Tuesday 21 September 2004. The meeting is in the Commission Room of the Detroit Public Library, 5201 Woodward Avenue. For your information, the current Commissioners are: Ms. Karen DiChiera, President Judge Edward M. Thomas, Vice-President Bishop James L. Johnson, Jr., Secretary Mr. Fred Martin Ms. Phyllis Jose Ms. Carole Jasper Quarterman Ms. Jose and Ms. Quarterman were recently appointed. Future meeting will be held on 19 October, 16 November, and 21 December 2004. Unfortunately, I am in training on the 21st and will not be attending the meeting. If someone is planning on going and would be willing to read a statement I will prepare, then please email me. I would like to officially announce the donation boycott and challenge them to promise that any money they collect on the usage fee will be used exclusively on the Special Collections. After all, the expense of serving us in the Special Collections is their justification for collecting a usage fee. They should have no problem agreeing to spend the money where it should be going. Regards, JP John P. DuLong, Ph.D. Acadian and French Canadian Genealogy 959 Oxford Road Berkley, MI 48072-2011 (248) 541-2894 http://habitant.org From dulongj at habitant.org Sat Sep 11 14:06:15 2004 From: dulongj at habitant.org (John P. DuLong) Date: Sat Sep 11 14:02:44 2004 Subject: [BHC] First FOIA Response Message-ID: Hello Folks, As you know, I submitted Freedom of Information Act requests to the Detroit Public Library, the Baldwin (Birmingham) Public Library, and the Bloomfield Township Public Library asking for any and all documents regarding the long-term relationship between these organizations and why these two suburban libraries get free access to the Special Collections. Well I got back my first response, the following transcription is of the only document the Baldwin Public Library has regarding this long-term reciprocal agreement. Please note the date! ********* Baldwin Public Library - Detroit Public Library Reciprocal Borrowing Agreement This agreement is entered into this 29th day, July 2004 by and between the Baldwin Public Library ("BPL"), and Detroit Public Library ("DPL"). This Agreement, which shall be for a period of three (3) years, commencing on August 1, 2004, shall provide that: BPL: All residents and employees of Detroit, Michigan will have borrowing privileges at the Baldwin Public Library and access to all its collections. DPL: All residents, employees and contract communities of Birmingham, Michigan will have borrowing privileges at the Detroit Public Library and access to all its collections. The Agreement will be for three (3) years, with an annual evaluation for any adverse effects on either party, in which event, good faith consideration will be given to modification or termination. This Agreement may be terminated by either party, without cause, upon six month's written notice given to the other. Executed by the parities, by their duly authorized officers: Baldwin Public Library Detroit Public Library by: [signature of Martha L. Custer] by: [signature of Nancy Skowronski] Martha L. Custer Nancy Skowronski Executive Director Director and CEO ********** Does this strike you as a long-term reciprocal agreement! Or is this some privileged insider deal thrown together at the last moment? Why are other suburban public libraries not allowed to make such arrangements? I bet you that there are many other suburban public libraries that see far more Detroit users than Birmingham. Perhaps they should start excluding Detroiters from even using their collections without paying a fee if the Detroit Public Library is not going to let them have a special sweetheart deal as well. This is simply wrong! I will let you know when I get the other two responses. JP John P. DuLong, Ph.D. Acadian and French Canadian Genealogy 959 Oxford Road Berkley, MI 48072-2011 USA (248) 541-2894 dulongj@habitant.org From dulongj at habitant.org Sat Sep 11 14:14:38 2004 From: dulongj at habitant.org (John P. DuLong) Date: Sat Sep 11 14:11:07 2004 Subject: [BHC] Another Stunning Example of Bad Planning Message-ID: Hello Folks, The Detroit Public Library has announced that they will hold a "DPL Millage Rally" at 11:00am to 1:00pm on Tuesday 14 September 2004 at the Main Library on the Cass side. According to the announcement: "Speakers will talk briefly and the media will be present. We need you there to give a face to the message and to demonstrate that the library is a valued intuition in our community." Also there will be some food. What rocket scientist decided to hold a rally on a work day when most people can not attend? What were they thinking? Who do they expect will take a day off work to turn out? Before I hear from you, no I do not think we should protest at this meeting. There is not enough time to organize an effective demonstration. Moreover, if the millage fails, then the library will pretty much shut down. So I think we should just keep out of this. However, I can tell you from the insiders who contact me, to a person they are extremely concerned about this millage campaign and how confused and incompetently it has been handled to date. Nobody has yet told me that the new millage will pass (an additional one mill) and the opinion is divided if the regular millage (three mills) will be renewed. The Detroit tax payers have always been generous in the past, but this is no guarantee, given the economy, that they will be generous this time around. The Detroit taxpayers know that they library has not faced up to the financial scandal. I really worry about what will happen in November. I think it is best if we stay out of this and let them fail or succeed on their own. Regards, JP John P. DuLong, Ph.D. Acadian and French Canadian Genealogy 959 Oxford Road Berkley, MI 48072-2011 USA (248) 541-2894 dulongj@habitant.org From aa0912 at wayne.edu Sat Sep 11 16:37:02 2004 From: aa0912 at wayne.edu (Charles K. Hyde) Date: Sat Sep 11 16:36:01 2004 Subject: [BHC] "BUDDIES AND PALS" AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE DPL ADMINISTRATION AND THE BALDWIN (BIRMINGHAM) PUBLIC LIBRARY Message-ID: <6.1.1.1.2.20040911191926.01bc6db0@mail.wayne.edu> Folks: Is anyone out there shocked to discover (Thanks, John) that the "long-term reciprocal relationship" between the DPL and the Baldwin (Birmingham) Public Library just happened to begin on the eve of the new fees for non-residents? We all suspected that the original explanation for this exception was a flat-out lie and now we have proof. Why does the DPL administration continue to assume that the DPL patrons are a group of morons? Who, in fact, are the morons in all of this? Why didn't the Detroit Library Commission question this "special arrangement"? Did they even know about it? Do they even care about the health and well-being of the DPL? Are they as irresponsible as they appear to be? Draw your own conclusions. Every library patron, especially Detroit residents, have the right to know why Birmingham Library patrons get special privileges. How about telling the truth for a change? From Marcia1215 at aol.com Sat Sep 11 16:53:08 2004 From: Marcia1215 at aol.com (Marcia1215@aol.com) Date: Sat Sep 11 16:51:53 2004 Subject: [BHC] "BUDDIES AND PALS" AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE DPL ADMINISTRATION AND THE... Message-ID: I find the whole thing shocking, but unfortunately I am NOT surprised. This whole "arrangement" smelled of a rat, from the beginning. I wonder what can be done about it, now that the "cat is out of the bag". Marcia In a message dated 9/11/2004 7:38:20 PM Eastern Daylight Time, aa0912@wayne.edu writes: Folks: Is anyone out there shocked to discover (Thanks, John) that the "long-term reciprocal relationship" between the DPL and the Baldwin (Birmingham) Public Library just happened to begin on the eve of the new fees for non-residents? We all suspected that the original explanation for this exception was a flat-out lie and now we have proof. Why does the DPL administration continue to assume that the DPL patrons are a group of morons? Who, in fact, are the morons in all of this? Why didn't the Detroit Library Commission question this "special arrangement"? Did they even know about it? Do they even care about the health and well-being of the DPL? Are they as irresponsible as they appear to be? Draw your own conclusions. Every library patron, especially Detroit residents, have the right to know why Birmingham Library patrons get special privileges. How about telling the truth for a change? _______________________________________________ BHC mailing list BHC@habitant.org http://habitant.org/mailman/listinfo/bhc_habitant.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/bhc_habitant.org/attachments/20040911/1a5edae3/attachment.htm From dulongj at habitant.org Sat Sep 11 18:14:35 2004 From: dulongj at habitant.org (John P. DuLong) Date: Sat Sep 11 18:11:03 2004 Subject: [BHC] Corporate Card Message-ID: Hello Folks, I forgot to mention that I have a corporate library card now for the Detroit Public Library. I work in a medical library and we have occasion to use the Burton Historical Collection. There are two names on the card, our archivist and mine (though I am not a librarian, just a computer jock, they let me help out occasionally). We had to request a corporate library card form and my boss had to fill it out. The process took about two weeks. It specifically gives me access to the special collections. I plan on waving the card around. But I will NOT use it to do my personal research or my wife's research. If we have to use the Burton, then I will pay the fee in sympathy with the rest of you. However, I strongly urge those of you who work in Detroit to ask your boss if you can be the designated card holder. Go for it and use it! I think you can have up to three people listed on the card. Any end run you can figure out to avoid this stupid usage fee is OK by me as long as it is legal. The policy has so many holes in it that you clever people should be able to figure out some way of getting past it. Regards, JP John P. DuLong, Ph.D. Acadian and French Canadian Genealogy 959 Oxford Road Berkley, MI 48072-2011 USA (248) 541-2894 dulongj@habitant.org From dulongj at habitant.org Sat Sep 11 19:56:10 2004 From: dulongj at habitant.org (John P. DuLong) Date: Sat Sep 11 19:52:39 2004 Subject: [BHC] Some Clarification on the Usage Fee Message-ID: Folks, Another Advocate passed the following to me. Mr. Poremba spoke briefly to the DSGR and explained the new usage fee policy to the attendees today. Computer usage does not require a fee/card. Simple short questions of the staff do not require a fee/card. Copies do not require a fee card, but you do still have to ask permission. ALL microfilm usage does require a fee/card. And of course any requests for materials in the stacks also require a fee/card. I hope this helps. JP John P. DuLong, Ph.D. Acadian and French Canadian Genealogy 959 Oxford Road Berkley, MI 48072-2011 USA (248) 541-2894 dulongj@habitant.org From dulongj at habitant.org Fri Sep 17 10:41:17 2004 From: dulongj at habitant.org (John P. DuLong) Date: Fri Sep 17 10:41:20 2004 Subject: [BHC] Change in Date of Detroit Library Commission Meeting Message-ID: <1095442877.414b21bde0a4a@login.aries.lunarpages.com> Hello Folks, Just got word today from another Advocate, and verified it by looking at the official website, http://www.detroit.lib.mi.us/About_DPL/Commission.htm, that the Detroit Library Commission meeting has been cancelled for Tuesday 21 September 2004. It has been rescheduled for Tuesday 28 September 2004 at 1:30 p.m. This meeting will be held in the Friends' Conference Room, Main Library 2nd floor. I have not learned the reason for this last minute change that was announced only today. What is going on? Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the new date either but I encourage others to attend and let the commissioners know that the usage fee is unwise and counterproductive. By the way, anyone see or hear any media coverage of the Detroit Public Library rally held on Tuesday 14 September 2004. I have seen no coverage of it. Regards, JP John P. DuLong, Ph.D. Acadian and French Canadian Genealogy 959 Oxford Road Berkley, MI 48072-2011 (248) 541-2894 http://habitant.org From dulongj at habitant.org Mon Sep 20 14:36:01 2004 From: dulongj at habitant.org (John P. DuLong) Date: Mon Sep 20 14:33:54 2004 Subject: [BHC] Louisa St. Clair Chapter of the DAR's Letter to the DPL Message-ID: Hello Folks, I would like to thank the ladies of the Louisa St.Clair Chapter of the DAR for taking a strong stand on the issue of a usage fee and making clear to the Detroit Public Library that this is an unwise move. Please approach organizations you belong to and ask them to make an official stand as well. Here is the text of the letter sent to the Detroit Library Commission: ********** September 20, 2004 Ms. Karen DiChiera, President Detroit Library Commission 5201 Woodward Avenue Detroit, MI 48202 Dear Ms. DiChiera, It is with deep regret that I write this letter. As Regent of the oldest chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in the state of Michigan, I have been asked to advise you that our membership and Board of Directors have decided that we will no longer fund the Burton Historical Collection at the Detroit Public Library. Our patriotic service organization, founded in 1893 and active in Detroit since that time, has been funding the Burton Historical Collection since its inception. We have purchased many things over the years, among them the microfilms of Revolutionary soldier muster rolls, the library tables that are still in use, many of the microfiche readers, and more currently the new scanner/reader/ printer as well as many, many books of historical and genealogical nature and the flag poles on the Woodward side of the building. Now we find that our members, many of whom do not live within the city limits, will have to pay a fee to use the machine which we helped purchase or to call up books from the stacks that we have helped provide over the last 80 years or more. I cannot convey to you how distressed and angry we are and how very unappreciated chapter members feel because of this new policy. The Louisa St. Clair Chapter, NSDAR is hopeful that a more thoughtful approach will be taken to resolve the financial situation that the library now faces with better accountability and responsibility in the future. Sincerely, Joanne K. Galvin, Regent Cc Mr. David Poremba, Director, Burton Historical Collection Ms. Patrice Merritt, Director, Friends of the Detroit Library Ms. Nancy Skowronski, Director, Detroit Public Library Mr. John DuLong via e-mail ********** Regards, JP John P. DuLong, Ph.D. Acadian and French Canadian Genealogy 959 Oxford Road Berkley, MI 48072-2011 USA (248) 541-2894 dulongj@habitant.org From gentree at cablespeed.com Mon Sep 20 15:02:36 2004 From: gentree at cablespeed.com (gentree) Date: Mon Sep 20 15:02:44 2004 Subject: [BHC] FW: Detroit Public Library Message-ID: -----Original Message----- From: Ofc. V. Garcia [mailto:SenVGarcia@senate.michigan.gov] Sent: Monday, September 20, 2004 3:35 PM To: gentree@voyager.net Subject: Re: Detroit Public Library As you are undoubtedly aware, the Conference Report on the Budget for the History, Arts, and Libraries Budget HB 5519 (CR-1) was passed by the and enrolled and presented to the Governor on 9/14/04. I understand your concern in protecting and allowing public access to historic documents. As passed, House Bill 5519 funds the Preservations and Access for Michigan Project pilot program, designed to digitize rare and historically inportant documents, at $965,000, a $535,000 reduction from the revised Executive proposal, adds $20,000 to the book distribution centers' spending line, and continues the current spending levels for state aid to libraries. The bill also eliminated the specific individual line item grants to the Detroit and Grand Rapids public libraries. I read the restrictions you wanted on the funds, but when the conference report came in front of the House and Senate, we can only vote in support or opposition. We can not amend conference reports. With budgets as tight as they are, Detroit and Grand Rapids had to suffer the loss of their special funding. Respectfully, Valde Garcia >>> gentree@cablespeed.com 8/2/2004 1:41:57 PM >>> Dear Senator Garcia, I am one of your constituents and am writing to concerning the Detroit Public Library and its special collections, in particular, The Burton Historical Collection and the National Automotive Historical Collection. The special collections of the Detroit Public Library are a unique in the state and resources used by many citizens of Michigan interested in the history of the Great Lakes region and genealogists with ancestors in the state. The special collections are also heavily used by non- Detroiters including visitors to Michigan. Regrettably, the Detroit Library commission and library administration has been tainted by allegations of financial mismanagement of grants and gifts. It is certainly understandable why the state legislators would remove state funding from the institution under the cloud of financial scandal. Nevertheless, the special collections deserve state funding because they are state resources. Now, due they claim to the loss of state funding, The Detroit Library Commission is imposing a $100 a year fee on non- Detroiters to simply use the special collections This fee will only succeed in driving more people away from using the special collection and consequently jeopardizes the survival of these special collections. Furthermore, a usage fee, as compared to a borrowing fee, is unprecedented in any public library in the United States. Recently, I have learned that there is a line of $500,000 included in the House's version of the 2004-2005 fiscal year budget, but not yet in the Senate's version and That this budget is now in the conference committee. Without any state funding going to the Detroit Public Library, any leverage non- Detroiters have over the fate of the special collection going to the Detroit Public Library Commission is removed. Would you please use your influence to see that the $500.000 is retained in the budget and if possible increased? In addition, given the current situation, would it be possible to add the following restrictions on the funds: (1) that usage fee for non- residents be rescinded, (2) that the library spend the funds on the special collections, and (3) that the library issue an annual report on their web site to the public summarizing how the funds were spent to benefit the special collections Thank You for considering my concerns. Sincerely Karan L Zucal Professional Genealogist Green Oak Township Livingston County From cathycompton at earthlink.net Tue Sep 28 15:30:54 2004 From: cathycompton at earthlink.net (Cathy Compton) Date: Tue Sep 28 15:26:03 2004 Subject: [BHC] BHC:Symphony needs help from Freinds of the BHC Message-ID: Dear Friends of the BHC, As you can see below, in a forwarded message from Jill Woodward, the Detroit Symphony would like to organize its historical records for the first time. The many boxes stored in warehouses can now be put in proper order, in a room of their own, in the new facility at The Max. The DSO does not have any staff with the time nor the knowledge to arrange these records correctly. This is where you can help. Jill Woodward is in charge of an application for a grant to pay for just such an archivist. She needs testimonials as to the importance of the DSO records, their preservation and accessibility on site at their own facility. Jill tells me that they often get inquiries about early members from people researching their families. Since archives and access are just what we have been writing about in the BHC list for several years, it should not be difficult for many of you to write a quick e-mail and send it to Jill in the next few days. Thank you all, Cathy Compton, DSO violist, member of NSDAR, the Detroit Book Club, and one-time friend of the DPL Cc: "Jill Woodward" Subject: Memo from Jill Woodward MEMO To: DSO Musicians, Staff, Extra Musicians, and Retired Musicians From: Jill Woodward RE: DSO Archives Dear DSO Friends, With the help of Paul Ganson, we are working feverishly to submit a grant proposal to the National Publications & Records Commission (NHPRC) to establish a DSO archives program. Our goal with the grant would be to preserve the organization's rich history and artifacts, and make it accessible to the public/researchers. This is a national foundation that exists to support this type of history/archives project only. One of the things the grant committee requests we send are testimonials/letters from individuals who believe our archives have value, and why. I appeal you to, and to your friends, colleagues and relatives, to send us an email or letter that explains why this history is valuable, and why it should be preserved/made accessible. We would need letters here by mid-next week at the offices. This project has enormously exciting possibilities. Your informed thoughts on this subject would be most appreciated! Please let me know if I can answer any questions. Thanks so much. Jill Woodward Director of Public Relations Max M. Fisher Music Center 3711 Woodward Avenue Detroit, MI. 48201 P: (313) 576-5126