Lynna Kay Shuffield wrote:
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Please forward this e-mail to every genealogy and
historical researcher you know and ask for his or
her immediate support and help with this issue. Send
it to family members. Send it to members of your
genealogy or historical society members.
Permission to reprint this article is given without
any reservations.
= = = = = = = = IMMEDIATE RELEASE= = = = = = = =
Help Save Clayton Genealogy Library
By Lynna Kay Shuffield
Houston, Tex., May 14 - One of the top 10-genealogy
libraries in the United States, the Clayton Library
Center for Genealogical Research (known as the
Clayton Library) of the Houston Public Library (HPL)
is in danger and will suffer drastic cutbacks in
operating hours beginning July 1, 2002 when the
library will only be open for research for 3-hours,
1-night per week versus the current 4-hours, 3-
nights per week.
This will result in the loss of almost 475 evening
research hours per year for the public and library
patrons. For many researchers, genealogy is a hobby
and most work a full-time job (40-hour per week from
8am-5pm).
Clayton Library patrons who use the library during
the evening hours will go from 625-hours of
available research hours per year (5pm-9pm, 4-hours,
3-nights per week) to a gross of 155-hours per year
(5pm-8pm, 3-hours, 1-night per week).
Please keep in mind when you get off from work at
5pm, in Houston rush-hour traffic and road
construction, you generally cant make it to Clayton
Library before 6pm. So, using the formula of
arriving after work at 6pm, patrons will
realistically only have 2-hours (6pm-8pm), 1-day per
week for a total of 104-hours (2x52) of evening
research time per year.
You must also reduce 104-hours even more because
most Clayton Library services, e.g., photocopiers,
microprinters, restrooms, etc. end 15-mintues before
closing thus reducing another 13-hours per year
(15x52÷60) from evening research time. Resulting in
the net number of evening hours available to
researchers at Clayton Library to 91-hours per year.
Many people say reduction in hours this is a Houston
or regional issue. Not so! Clayton Library serves
approximately 72,000 individuals every year from all
over the United States who travel to this specific
library to conduct research. Also, it is critical to
remember, Clayton Library is a non-circulating
collection and no books or microfilm can be check-
out and used at home.
Additionally, Library Administrators and City
Officials have failed to consider impact to Clayton
Librarys nationwide stature and standing by this
drastic reduction in research hours.
Not only is the reduction in hours going to affect
researchers, it is also going to have an economic
impact on the City of Houston.
According to the Historic Preservation at Work for
the Texas Economy, individuals who visit your
community for genealogy or historic purposes, spend
an additional $29 per day, over and above what they
would normally spend just visiting for personal or
business reasons, and, in addition, they stay longer
than non-heritage travelers.
Reducing Clayton Library hours might solve the
librarys budget shortfalls, but it is going to
cause an even greater impact to Houstons public
image and economy.
Why the reduction in library hours at Clayton
Library? In Staff Town Hall Meetings conducted today
by the HPL, the reason for the cutbacks is
because there is major budget crisis. The 18-page
handout given out at the meeting suggests staff
members are not to take complaints from patrons
regarding cutbacks of library hours or services.
Staff members are to direct patrons to contact
members of Houston City Council or their
neighborhood civic club or association so they
can express positive support for restoring the
librarys budget so hours and services can be
restored.
Why the drastic reduction in Clayton Library hours?
The Library Administration claims it is due to the
surge of Internet genealogical research and
therefore there is no longer a need for hands-on
original research. This is a diminutive argument in
that good genealogy researchers realize that relying
solely on Internet research is not good research
and you only have access to the vast majority to
books and records at a library.
It is important to note that Clayton Genealogy
Library will be experiencing the most drastic and
severe cutbacks of any branch of the Houston Public
Library System. Most local branch libraries will
only see an average reduction of 2-hours per week or
a loss of 105 hours per year and the Downtown Main
Library will only loose 3-hours per week or a total
of 156 hours per year whereas Clayton Library will
see a reduction of almost 475-hours per year.
What can you do to help? Write, call or e-mail all
of the following and voice your positive support
to stop the reduction of Clayton Library hours and
keeping it open three-nights per week.
-- please offset following in box --
Website for Clayton Genealogy Library
<
http://www.hpl.lib.tx.us/clayton/ >
Website for Clayton Library Friends (a tax-exempt,
IRS 501(3)(c) non-profit organization that supports
the library)
<
http://www.hpl.lib.tx.us/clayton/clf.html >
Barbara Gubbin, Executive Director, Houston Public
Library System, 500 McKinney, 4th Floor, Houston,
Texas 77002, telephone: 832/393-1325 or e-mail
< barbara.gubbin(a)cityofhouston.net >.
Editor, Houston Chronicle newspaper: Viewpoints,
Houston Chronicle, P. O. Box 4260, Houston, Texas
77210 or e-mail < viewpoints(a)chron.com >.
City of Houston Elected Officials webpage at
<
http://www.ci.houston.tx.us/citygovt/council/ >
The mailing address for all the below listed City of
Houston Elected Officials: P. O. Box 1562, Houston,
Texas 77251:
Lee P. Brown, Mayor of the City of Houston, in
Houston telephone 311 or e-mail
< mayor(a)cityofhouston.net >
Annise Parker, City Council At Large Position 1, e-
mail
< atlarge1(a)cityofhouston.net >
Gordon Quan, City Council At Large Position 2, e-
mail
< atlarge2(a)cityofhouston.net >
Shelly Sekula Rodriguez, M.D., City Council At Large
Position 3, e-mail
< atlarge3(a)cityofhouston.net >
Michael Berry, City Council At Large Position 4, e-
mail
< atlarge4(a)cityofhouston.net >
Carroll G. Robinson, City Council At Large Position
5, e-mail
< atlarge5(a)cityofhouston.net >
Bruce Tatro, City Council Dist. A, e-mail
< bruce.tatro(a)cityofhouston.net >
Carol Mims Galloway, City Council Dist. B, e-mail
< districtb(a)cityofhouston.net >
Mark Goldberg, City Council Dist. C, e-mail
< districtc(a)cityofhouston.net >
Ada Edwards, City Council Dist. D, e-mail
< districtd(a)cityofhouston.net >
Addie Wiseman, City Council Dist. E, e-mail
< districte(a)cityofhouston.net >
Mark Ellis, City Council Dist. F, e-mail
< districtf(a)cityofhouston.net >
Bert Keller, City Council Dist. G, e-mail
< districtg(a)cityofhouston.net >
Gabriel Vasquez, Ph.D., City Council Dist. H, e-mail
< districth(a)cityofhouston.net >
Carol Alvarado, City Council Dist. I, e-mail
< districti(a)cityofhouston.net >
-- 30 --
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Lynna Kay Shuffield
P. O. Box 16604
Houston, Texas 77222
telephone: 713/692-4511
e-mail: friday(a)argohouston.com
---My webpages---
'Our Loose Ends' Genealogy Column by Lynna Kay
Shuffield
http://www.geocities.com/lks_friday/COLUMN-001.htm
'My Loose Ends' Family Tree Database by Lynna Kay
Shuffield
http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-
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http://www.geocities.com/lks_friday/
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http://www.geocities.com/milamco/
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