1/25/2003
Who needs all those dusty, old books?
Jeb Bush proposes doing away with Florida State Library, firing all the librarians by July, and dumping the materials on FSU with no money for taking care of them. Oh, heck why not just sell the collection on e-Bay?
New FSU Prez T.K. Wetherell says, wait a minute, "It looks is that someone wants us to assume a responsibility but with no money." Yup, it sure does, but hey, you endorsed him.
Steve Bousquet asks, Have you ever tried to use FSU library? Good luck if you're not a student. (Bottom of column.) Oh, try parking near it, too.
Bush's goofy inaugural speech told of his vision of his utopian of a future in which the state had withered away (to use Marx's phrase), leaving government buildings empty of workers. He didn't mention empty of books, too. Jeb said the speech was "too deep for some people." Too deep for me, Jeb. How do we become "a state of readers" and also close down libraries and fire librarians?
Glenda Hood defends the closure with the airiest of happy talk -- "It's actually a transfer of all the books -- not a closing," Hood said. (Scroll to middle.) OK: No books, no librarians, dumping the books in a place with no room for them, no money to care for them and no public access, and it's not a closing. R-i-i-i--i-ght.
What's unclear to me in the early reports, is how the new budget priorities will affect the state archives (which will move to another agency) and the state's amazing and wonderful on-line photo archive. (See it while you can!)
The Shifted Librarian sez -- If you live in Florida, you need to contact your legislators and Governor Bush and tell them that Florida can't afford to be without a state library.
New FSU Prez T.K. Wetherell says, wait a minute, "It looks is that someone wants us to assume a responsibility but with no money." Yup, it sure does, but hey, you endorsed him.
Steve Bousquet asks, Have you ever tried to use FSU library? Good luck if you're not a student. (Bottom of column.) Oh, try parking near it, too.
Bush's goofy inaugural speech told of his vision of his utopian of a future in which the state had withered away (to use Marx's phrase), leaving government buildings empty of workers. He didn't mention empty of books, too. Jeb said the speech was "too deep for some people." Too deep for me, Jeb. How do we become "a state of readers" and also close down libraries and fire librarians?
Glenda Hood defends the closure with the airiest of happy talk -- "It's actually a transfer of all the books -- not a closing," Hood said. (Scroll to middle.) OK: No books, no librarians, dumping the books in a place with no room for them, no money to care for them and no public access, and it's not a closing. R-i-i-i--i-ght.
What's unclear to me in the early reports, is how the new budget priorities will affect the state archives (which will move to another agency) and the state's amazing and wonderful on-line photo archive. (See it while you can!)
The Shifted Librarian sez -- If you live in Florida, you need to contact your legislators and Governor Bush and tell them that Florida can't afford to be without a state library.
