The Oregon Historical Society’s research library will be drastically reducing its hours to the public.
Here’s part of the email that went out this week to the library’s supporters
Dear friends and colleagues,It is with great sadness that I write to share the news with you that, due to severe budget reductions, the Oregon Historical Society will be closing its Research Library beginning this Saturday, February 28th. The collections will no longer be open to the public, and all library positions will be eliminated beginning March 13th. A few positions will remain to handle orders for photo and film reproduction. It is not known at this time if or when the library will re-open and at what capacity.
Here’s what driving the library’s new grim reality:
* A 2009-10 state appropriation that is forecast to be 65% lower ($800,000 per year less) than last year’s
* A possible cut of $350,000 from the 2009 state appropriation
* The loss of approximately $400,000 in annual endowment earnings
* A drop in private donations.
Beyond the library, OHS will eliminate at least 12 positions, cut managers’ pay by 10 per cent and freeze pay at current levels for all staff. OHS officials say the biggest cuts were focused on the research library “in order to preserve public access to museum exhibits and educational programs and to continue web-based services, traveling exhibits, and school outreach programs across the state.”
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Tags: economy
UPDATE ON OHS LIBRARY
Please note that, contrary to many statements on blogs and in emails, the library is not closing forever. At the request of the staff, we closed it for a few weeks so that the departing staff could finish various projects and clear backlogs. We are reopening soon, and the executive committee’s action yesterday to allow some deficit spending, will ensure access to all types of collections, not just photos, reference, and film. We should know within the week what the schedule of hours will be, and I believe they may be about the same as before we reestablished the state appropriation in 2007, i.e., about 12 or 15 hrs per week. We added staff and extended service hours to 32 per week, including Saturdays, as a result of the appropriation, which is now in jeopardy.
I think there is a real chance that OHS will see no appropriation for 2009-11. That, plus the other revenue losses, would take almost $2 million from the operating budget–somewhere in the 40 to 50% range. Much of the remaining budget is basic to whatever programs we operate: utilities, security, insurance, IT, development, finance, maintenance, etc. The museum/education staff consists of three full-time people.
Here is the statement we issued on Friday.
Update Regarding the Research Library
1. The Board of Trustees has authorized two additional positions in the library, which will enable OHS to provide access to archival collections, rare books, reference materials, and microfilm, in addition to photographs, films, and videos. These positions are funded through the end of May and may be renewed if funding is available. This brings total staffing to the level of 4.5 positions.
2. Library staff members will work with management and our wonderful library volunteers over the next two weeks to develop and announce a new schedule of hours for the library. The new schedule will be posted on the Society�s website as soon as it is available, on or before March 31.
3. The Board of Trustees is actively in discussion with various entities about long-term solutions for the library. The Board understands that the library collections are a major resource for scholars and the general public alike. The Board also understands that the dedicated library staff members are an important and irreplaceable asset because of their specialized knowledge of the collections. No one on the Board feels that closure or heavily restricted hours of access to the library is an acceptable long-term solution.
4. All members of the Board urge citizens to make their views about the library and state funding known to your state legislators. The process of developing the 2009-11 state budget has begun in Salem, and now is the time for action.
George L. Vogt
Executive Director