Budget cuts imperil premier research library
It is one of the finest and most important research facilities anywhere in the United States — home of the records of one of America’s earliest colonies and gateway for so many of our ancestors into this new land.
It is the Library of Virginia (LVA) — the state library and archives in Richmond.
And its very future is at risk because of Virginia budget cuts.
The proposed budget for fiscal year 2017 (and beyond) for the Commonwealth of Virginia, proposed by Governor Terence R. McAuliffe, would be devastating for LVA and for all of us — The Legal Genealogist included — who regularly use and rely on its resources for our research.
That budget proposes to slash more than $600,000 from the LVA tab for the fiscal year — with the bulk of it being in library staff. As many as 15 existing library staff positions would have to be cut. And the cuts beyond 2017 could be worse.
The State Librarian, Dr. Sandra G. Treadway, has explained the library’s situation:
Given the repeated budget reductions that the Library has experienced since 2008, we have virtually no discretionary money left. We buy very few books anymore, relying on donations and some acquisitions support from our Foundation and from groups such as the Friends of the Virginia State Archives. We have cut our conservation budget deeply over the past few years and use mostly non-general funds now for preservation. Our IT costs have gone up exponentially as it takes a lot of human beings and equipment to maintain the level of digital collections that we have made available through our website. Since 2008 our operating budget has been reduced by more than $3.8 million and this cut will bring that number to nearly $4.5 million. Having already eliminated most discretionary funding, we have no where else to go to find the $633,000 we will lose but to salaries as that is what most of our state funding covers.
For us as researchers, this is devastating. LVA is already operating well below its allotted staffing levels, and there’s a very real risk that — because of these cuts — LVA may have to close on Saturdays and perhaps even on other days because there just isn’t enough manpower to keep it open.
If that’s not bad enough, the budgetary shortfalls in Virginia aren’t going away — and further budget cuts are threatened for fiscal year 2018. Dr. Treadway continued: “We are very worried about next year’s budget however, as we do know that additional reductions will be necessary. Decisions about next year haven’t yet been made, and if you or others wish to share your concern about this situation and ask that the Library be spared further reductions in the budget for fiscal year 2018, that might make a difference.”
Whether we live in Virginia or merely research there, as a community, we can’t stand idly by and let that happen. We’re all affected by what happens in Virginia and we simply can not afford to let a state as important to genealogy as Virginia walk away from records access. So whether we live in Virginia or not, we all need to speak out.
For those who live in Virginia, I implore you — take the time to email Governor Terry McAuliffe, Secretary of Education (the Library’s overarching department) Dietra Trent, and your elected representatives. You can contact the Governor and the Secretary of Education by email at http://governor.virginia.gov/constituent-services/communicating-with-the-governors-office/. For your legislator, see http://virginiageneralassembly.gov/, then click on “Members and Session” on the left hand side of the page, then on “Who’s my Legislator” in the center of the page, in the fine print. After filling in your address, your legislators and their email and snail mail addresses will be listed.
If you live in Virginia, remember: there’s an election in just a few weeks. As a Virginia citizen, you’re in a unique position to remind the members of the Legislature that you’re a genealogist and you vote. And that how you vote is very likely to depend on what your legislator does about this issue.
For those of us whose ancestors are from Virginia, we need to take the time as well to let Virginia decision-makers know how we feel. Okay, maybe we can’t vote in Virginia elections. But we can make it clear to the elected officials there that one thing we do have is a commitment to research. When we research, we travel. And when we travel, we spend money. In their districts. With their local businesses. Their local hotels and restaurants and souvenir shops (not to mention their local museums, historical societies and more).
Take a look through your genealogy program. See exactly what counties your folks came from. Match up those locations with the members of the Legislature and write letters. Send emails. Introduce yourself (and your ancestors) and tell these folks why LVA is important to you.
Losing access to records is always a terrible thing for genealogists and researchers of all stripes. Losing access because it’s easy to attack library and archives when the budget axe has to fall — that’s even worse.
We can’t sit idly by and let this happen.
Let’s speak out, for LVA, for records access, for this premier research facility and its future.
I’m a retired librarian and while I am all in favor of speaking out, my message to genealogists is this: If we don’t use our special libraries — go to them and use them in person — we will lose them. That is the bottom line of every library budget. We used to get up early to be sure and get a seat. Now we can stroll in at 11 a.m. and have our choice of seats. Digital use also counts, but I don’t believe as much so.
You are so right — and this often can be as simple as making sure we sign in when we go to these facilities so they can prove usage!
About digital archives and records: the comment about losing the tech staff needed to maintain these struck fear into my heart. The technology used for these records needs maintenance and periodically it needs updating. Without the skills to do these tasks, what will happen to these records over time? Once the need is no longer visible, it becomes less imperative to those making budget decisions. The length of time plays a role, but in that time,libraries and digital records can lose ground to seemingly more urgent because more recent demands for funds. We do need to make sure the physical facilities are used ad funded, but we also need to inform decision makers of the value of digital records: how they increase accessibility to records by many more people, AND, as important, the reduction of wear and tear on irreplaceable original records. Most of my lines go back to early New England and to early Virginia. I have just begun to explore my Virginia folks. But I don’t just try to make a chart of my ancestors. I try to understand the context of their lives, their migrations, and their place in their communities: history at the level of ordinary lives, something that is very much needed. I believe Virginia records are at the core of that kind of study for the early south.
LVA’s records are essential to anyone with Virginia ancestry. We all need to speak up for this valuable resource.
The only way to stop this is for the genealogy community and the NGS to form a separate political action committee. Such a PAC can lobby and influence legislation and budgets in state capitals. It will also require replacement of some elected officials who persist in doing such things.
I wish everyone could view the Slow Fires videos the Library of Congress made about paper and electronic records preservation. They give you a different viewpoint on digital records and their problematic preservation.
Budget cuts to libraries and archives are happening across the country. Digital records are great (and convenient), but as technology changes upgrades are necessary to keep those records available for use. I’ve heard of libraries getting rid of their microfilm, but what will happen if the digital records get zapped?
While I agree with every comment here there’s an additional similarly related issue that needs to be addressed and that is local jurisdictions getting rid of their hand written public records in favor of scanned electronic records which are only available as long as the grid is. Several years ago I went to a paper mill in Franklin, VA and saw a whole recycle bin of pages from a Virginia county dating back to the early 19th Century. Some of the workers there had saved some of the papers for souvenirs.
Yes, digitizing records isn’t a substitute (shouldn’t be one) for record retention.
Robert R – A lot of my family came from Franklin County Va.Breaks my heart to hear this.
Thank you, Judy, for writing about this. How can we get the word out? I live in VA and use the library all the time. It is amazing and the staff are so helpful. This resource has to be protected from budget cuts.
How to respond is set out in the blog post: contact the Governor, the Secretary of Education, and legislators!
Done, done, and done. As a VA resident I visit often.
The great shift to electronic media has transformed the librarian’s role from gatekeeper to facilitator. Might I suggest that many legislators came of age at a time when the librarian was more of a gatekeeper, and have had negative experiences with one or more librarians who overly relished their gatekeeping function? Methinks the chickens are coming home to roost for the librarianship profession.
— Ken Ryesky
JD, MBA, MLS
If pique at being shushed by a librarian is behind the loss of a single dollar in support, then all I can say is shame, shame on the legislators. Being able to hold an archival document in your hands is one of the great thrills of research and being deprived of that for any reason is just wrong.
The really sad thing is that some legislators when growing up never went to a library at all.
And wouldn’t admit it today if they had… 🙁
How did this turn out? I hope they got their funding? I looked at their fb and web page, it appears they are open Mon. thru Sat., at least, and it also appears they are doing good things, but I wondered if they have the needed funding. As a former (county) librarian, I know how hard it is to manage a library without enough money, and few libraries really have enough. Thanks for all you do to enlighten your readers in so many ways.
It turned out well, as you can read here. (As a matter of fact, I’m off researching at LVA this week!) But it’s something we’re going to have to be constantly vigilant about, everywhere, because the risk to libraries and archives is very real, everywhere.
Thank you–I just read the linked article and I’m so glad the VA legislature restored a decent amount in the budget, and I hope that is continuing in more recent budgets, as well. Thank you for making it quick and easy for folks to speak out on this issue, and for alerting people to the problem.