[Sca-librarians] State Library of Michigan news

[Judith Kirk]

Bad news for the residents of Michigan. This is an email the Dean of
our Libraries received this week...Siobhan

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>>> Greg Rosine <greg.rosine at wmich.edu> 7/14/2009 8:05 AM >>>

Joe - The following news article talks about the Governor's effort
to reduce the scope of the state library of Michigan.  If they are
"shopping around" elements of the library for others to assume, is
there anything that WMU would be interested in taking?
 
Greg
 
Gov Checks Out HAL, Hopes To Save $2M
The state will stop checking out books from its library, eliminate
nine positions (including the state Librarian post) and try shopping
out the Michigan History magazine as part of an estimated $2 million
the governor hopes to save in eliminating the Department of History,
Arts and Libraries (HAL), which she did today. 

A new admission fee also will be added to what is now the free
state museum. The E.O. does not lay out a level for the fee. 

In penning Executive Order 2009-36, Gov. Jennifer GRANHOLM
officially began the dissolving of the department John ENGLER
created in 2001 as a way to further cut back on a state government
that's $1.7 billion in the hole. 

In doing so, Granholm put state Superintendent Mike FLANAGAN in
charge of the state Library, for now, in the hopes that state
officials could work out a mutually beneficial arrangement with the
city of Lansing and Michigan State University. 

"As we've reminded everyone during the past, state government can
not be all things to all people," said Granholm Press Secretary Liz
BOYD. "This is part of an ongoing effort to streamline government
and make it more efficient while not jeopardizing the public
interest." 

While a special committee looks at creating the "Michigan Center
for Innovation and Reinvention," Flanagan is ordered in E.O. 2009-36
to eliminate the circulation of many selections from the state
Library to the public and other libraries. 

Folks can still go the state Library on Allegan Street to look at
material, but they would not be able to check them out from the
Main, Dewey, General Reference and Law collections under the order
unless Flanagan decides this is "impractical" to do. 

The Library will also shop around its Federal Documents Depository
and its non-Michigan Genealogy collections. If library officials
find no takers, both will be eliminated. Michigan also will cease
administering the MeLCat program as part of the E.O. 

Nine HAL positions will be eliminated as part of the HAL
splintering, including the $95,000-a-year State Librarian post
currently held by Nancy ROBERTSON. Other positions being eliminated
are the HAL director position (which is vacant), the budget officer,
the chief financial officer and public information officer. 

Once the E.O. takes effect on Oct. 1, the director of the
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will be the new head of the
Michigan Historical Commission. The state also will try to shop
around Michigan History Magazine to a "qualified non-profit
organization, society or foundation." If it doesn't find one, the
magazine will be history. 

DNR Director Rebecca HUMPRHRIES also will try to find a "qualified
non-profit" to run the museum store and the Michigan historical
markets program under the E.O, but both programs aren't necessarily
eliminated if she can't find a taker. 

In dissolving HAL, Granholm created a new nine-person "Center for
Innovation and Reinvention Board" charged with figuring out if the
state, Michigan State University and the city of Lansing can come up
with a way to run the state Library in a way that "maximizes the use
and creates new opportunities" for everybody involved. 

The governor will make all nine appointments, but MSU President Lou
Anna SIMON will give Granholm a list of nine people from which she
will make three of those appointments. Lansing Mayor Virg BERNERO
will give her a list of three appointments, from which one will be
made. Humphries and Flanagan automatically are on the board. 

The board has until June 1, 2010 to come up with a way to "preserve
and maximize the benefits to the public of existing state library
and historical resources" using "creative and innovative ideas," but
doesn't get more specific than that. 

"The MCIR would be another step forward in our ongoing efforts to
make Michigan competitive in a global economy," Granholm said. "The
center would draw upon Michigan's rich history of entrepreneurship
for lessons to help stimulate the innovations needed for today's
knowledge-based economy." 

The executive order will transfer: 

- The Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs to the
Michigan Strategic Fund; 

- Library of Michigan functions (except those related to the blind
and physically handicapped) to the Department of Education and
require the department to evaluate and implement additional cost
saving measures; 

- Library services for the blind and physically handicapped to the
Michigan Commission for the Blind; 

- Census reporting and related statistical functions to the
Department of Information Technology; 

- State records management functions to the Department of
Management and Budget; 

- The State Historic Preservation Review Board and Idlewild
Centennial Commission to the Michigan State Housing Development
Authority; 

- The Michigan Historical Commission, including museum facilities,
archives, historical records and related functions to the DNR and
require the DNR to evaluate and implement additional cost saving
measures. 

Also transferring to the DNR will be the: 

- Mackinac Island State Park Commission 

- Michigan Commission on the Commemoration of the Bicentennial of
the War of 1812 

- Michigan Freedom Trail Commission 

- Michigan Heritage Water Trail Program 

- Michigan Iron Industry Museum Advisory Board