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From: Tom Koselka [mailto:tom@mimgc.org]
Sent: 16 September, 2010 5:55 AM
To: patgen(a)casair.net
Subject: MGC Education/Library of Michigan Budget passes the Legislature
Dear genealogists,
Please share this with your membership.
Yesterday the State Senate and House passed the Conference Committee Report
to reconcile the 2010-2011 Budget for the Michigan Department of Education.
This department includes the Library of Michigan.
Language was modified from the original bills that required the Library
keep, but not necessarily make public the non-Michigan genealogy collection
and Federal Documents collection. The language in the bill has passed both
legislative houses and is on its way to the Governor has the following
language.
From the funds appropriated in part 1 and other funding available, the
department and library of Michigan shall maintain custody of the
non-Michigan genealogy and all Michigan-specific collections. These
collections shall continue to be made available to the public.
An excerpt from the Senate Analysis follows:
Library of Michigan. Conference agreed with the Revised Governor's
Recommendation which reduced GF funding by $1.1 million and eliminated the
Federal Documents Collection, Regional Federal Depository program,
interlibrary loan, and the Library's participation in MelCat. Conference
agreed to restore from the original cuts 2.0 FTEs and $165,200, and added
another 1.0 FTE and $100,000 to maintain the non-Michigan genealogy
collection and Michigan-specific collections. (Total reduction from
previous year of $805,100)
To restate, the executive (Governor's) revised budget adds an additional
$165,000 and 2.0 Full Time Equivalent Staff back to the Library of Michigan
operations. Additionally, the Conference Committee adds an additional
$100,000 and one full time equivalent staff position for support of the all
Michigan-specific collections and the entire genealogy collection, including
non-Michigan.
If signed into law, this will mean a slightly smaller staff cut and some
modest funding for the Michigan collection and full Genealogical Collection
at the Library of Michigan. This also keeps the "non-Michigan" genealogical
materials available to researchers at the Library of Michigan.
Please continue to stress the importance of the Genealogy and Historical
Collections at the Michigan Library and Historical Center to your
legislators, our Governor and those running for election to these positions
in November. This budget picture for this next fiscal year is bleak; all
indications are next year will be even more challenging.
For more information on this bill, visit the Michigan Legislature website.
The direct link for SB1154 is,
http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?2010-SB-1154.
Best regards,
Tom Koselka, Legislative Liaison
Michigan Genealogical Council