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Even though we fought and got the legislators to fund it and stop the transfer to a private university.....it does not matter. He and Glenda Hood are still at it. It is being done quietly, sneakily....
Here are some notes from the long-time state librarian who quit rather than play their game:
A challenge to our state association.
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Wed, 27 Aug 2003 13:55:50 -0400 From: Barratt Wilkins Subject:
State Library Disassembling
In my opinion State Library administration is repeatedly violating the Code
and it now appears that FLA may be complicit in its SILENCE in not drawing
attention to the issues.
Where is the Florida Library Association? Does the FLA President and the
Executive Board NOW think it was a mistake to launch the award winning "Save
Your State Library" campaign? Does the FLA President and Executive Board
believe successful efforts last Spring to save the State Library are now, in
hind sight, on the wrong side of political correctness, the Administration,
and/or history? Is FLA caving into threats from the Governor, Secretary of
State, and State Librarian? One would have thought that after the successful
FLA Conference, the President, with Executive Board concurrence, would have
either charged the Legislative Committee to keep up with what is going on at
the State Library, or appointed a knowledgeable ad-hoc committee to monitor
and report on what is continuing to be the deliberate political manipulation
of the Division and State Library and the administrative disassembling of
the agency. I know there have been a number of suggestions to rehire Herrle
Communications Group to continue the campaign, and a number of questions
and/or suggestions have been made to the President either asking what to do
or about recommended actions to follow. So far there has been only public
silence! Unfortunately, as reported in newspaper articles and substantiated
e-mails from this author and others on the list serves, there is ample
evidence that the destruction and dismantling continues.
SNIPS:
True power rests with people using public exposure and pressure. Our
political system demands vigilance and action EVERYDAY! Destructive change
does not wait for your schedule or your convenience. There are no vacations!
People pushing unpopular and destructive changes rely on apathy and inertia;
most of the time they get away with those changes because people are not
involved. Those in temporary positions of power spend inordinate amounts of
money and time surrounding themselves with sycophants and communications
staffs to massage the message and make people believe everything is "Great",
because all ideas come from the top and they really do not want to hear
discordant thoughts or messages.
What was once the embodiment of State commitment to library services and
historical preservation in the R. A. Gray Building is now morphing into just
one more state office building. While the collections remain in situ, many changes are happening to staff
and services in the Gray Building and they have gradually become common
knowledge in Tallahassee:
- The State Librarian has announced that the stacks open for
75 years will be closed before the end of the year.
- A noted children's librarian is rewriting the State Library Materials Selection policy which was last revised in 1998.
-The former administrative offices of the State Librarian and the Bureau of
Library Development are now occupied by the Secretary of State, Assistant
Secretary and Chief of Staff, General Counsel, Legislative Director,
Communications Director, and other assorted staff.
-For the first time since the Gray Building opened in 1976 and brought
managers of service units together in one building, the Chief of Archives
and Records Management and support staff have been moved 3 miles away to the
State Records Center. The Director of the Division of Library and
Information Services and her staff now occupy the vacated offices.
Public Service archivists will move away from 1st Floor South Archives
Research Room and be located on the 2nd floor, whereas Archives Technical
Services staff have been moved to a cramped Ground floor area.
-The site for the FLIN center, circulation area, reference collection,
information desk, and stack entrance on 2nd floor North shortly will be
replaced by offices for Administrative Code and Laws, and Library
Development staff. The State Library will lose 50% of its public services
area to offices.
-The area on 2nd floor South occupied by the Florida Collection, Florida
documents, State depository program and associated staff now will be
squeezed together to include space for those services from 2nd floor North
now displaced by Code, Laws and Library Development offices.
-With collections so tightly squeezed in 2nd floor South there will be
little room for users. There is evidence that a goal for the State Library
is to stop lending from the collection particularly for FLIN. This will hurt
small libraries who rely on it.
-Technical services personnel for the State Library have been moved 3 miles
away to the State Records Center (SRC) where they will join Records
Management technical services staff. Archives technical processing staff
will divide their time between the SRC and cramped quarters on the Gray
Building ground floor. Eventually, this rearrangement of staff may provide a
convenient grouping of staff within the State Records Center to outsource
both staff and the SRC building and thus reduce total Division staff to the
level the Governor wanted in January.
-The 3rd floor North where State Library automation, technical services, and
the Training Room have been, are now rumored to be the future offices for
the Department's new combined grants office and Cultural Affairs staff.
-The much praised "FloridaMemory.com" program and staff once housed in Gray
Building ground floor space designed for people to work in, has been moved
to 5th Floor stacks which are conditioned for holding archival collections
not people during an 8-hour workday.
-The State Library Administrative Agency continues to lose valuable staff
such as Susan Campbell (Automated Services); Debra Sears (SLF manager who is
credited with starting FGILS and electronic library services to state
employees); Liz Milliken, who retired and knew the most about collections at
the State Library; Joan Morris, who retired and was a founding curator of
the Florida Photographic Archives; Victoria Pendleton, a liaison consultant,
who resigned; Charlie Parker, a national leader in low cost
telecommunications rates for libraries, who resigned to head up TBLC; Cherie
McCraw, who was the State Data Coordinator and responsible for the Florida
Library Directory with Statistics resigned to accept a position at CCLA;
Kathy Toon, a noted children's librarian left Library Development to replace
Debra Sears; Marian Deeney and her staff on paper have been assigned to the
combined DOS grants office; and on and on. From unofficial counts it would
appear Library Development and the Florida Library Information Network and
Loans staff have been the hardest hit.
A lame reason offered for so many people leaving is low salaries, but that
reason did not stop people from working in DLIS for decades because they had
freedom of expression, freedom to do their jobs, and a positive supportive
atmosphere.
Are replacements in the offing? Who is going to want to start working there
now?
-There still has been no published official accounting of library collection
expenditures last year and a plan for library expenditures for this fiscal
year. DLIS has claimed expenditures but not accounted for what was purchased
during the first half of the fiscal year and what was purchased during the
last half of the fiscal year by collection. Gaps in the collection probably
occurred. Has collection development started this year?
And unfortunately, the Governor, Secretary of State, and the State Librarian
have made the atmosphere so repressive that anyone who asks a question or
offers other information is immediately branded as NOT A TEAM PLAYER and a
"target" is painted around them. This goes not only for DOS staff members
but also for the various constituency groups as well. It has been noted that
a "target" has been painted on each librarian by the Governor because of
their negative attitudes. May I suggest the negative attitudes started with
the Governor's plan to dismantle the Division and when 55 notices of
anticipated termination were distributed to DLIS staff on January 31. You
must be totally positive or you are viewed as an enemy of the
Administration. The "DOS family" so often referred to by the Secretary
appears to be dysfunctional and the DOS values statement which touts:
"respect," "fairness," "honor, integrity, and loyalty," "reliability and
dependability,"
"commitment and passion," "open communication and sharing of information,"
"a sense of humor," "teamwork," and "creativity" appears to be used
selectively. It is interesting to note that HONESTY, TRUTHFULNESS, and
QUALITY SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC are not among DOS core values.
It is also interesting that the Secretary of State's Office presentations to
DOS staff about the proposed reorganization and merger have portrayed the
merger as a "done deal", whereas in regional meetings the Secretary refers
to the reorganization and merger as "ideas" for discussion and input. The
Secretary of State characterizes the regional meetings to DOS staff as
"unqualified successes", thus discounting reports that a majority of
participants are NOT in favor of the reorganization and merger and all want
more detailed information.
Some might ask why I continue to speak out about what is happening since I
am comfortably enjoying retirement and "I don't live at the Division
anymore?" After thirty years, it is hard to walk away from friends who are
suffering from injustice and to see great state institutions destroyed to
fulfill political agendas. Principles, fairness, the constant sifting and
winnowing of ideas while searching for the truth, the fervent belief that
everyone on the foundations of each person's sufferings and joys builds for
all, have been touchstones for my career. Unfortunately, what is happening
at the Division and the Department of State is now widespread in State
Government. The greatest tragedies of the 20th Century happened because
people did not take action soon enough. We are lucky to live in a country
where we still have freedom of thought, freedom of action, and hopefully
freedom from fear itself, if we will only exercise them. But you must be
engaged.
believe.
Remember what John Gardner, the great national public servant of mid-20th
century America wrote in his book SELF RENEWAL: "We pay a heavy price for
our fear of failure. It is a powerful obstacle to growth. It assures the
progressive narrowness of the personality and prevents exploration and
experimentation. There is no learning without some difficulty and fumbling.
If you want to keep on learning you must keep on risking failure -- all your
life."
The choices are really up to you. I think you will pay a price for what you
believe as I did. The price will be measured either by what you do or what
you do not do. In the final analysis your conscience will be your judge.
Barratt Wilkins ________________________
ALA Code of Ethics (adopted by ALA Council, June 28,
1995)
I. We provide the highest level of service to all library users through
appropriate and usefully organized resources; equitable service policies;
equitable access; and accurate, unbiased, and courteous responses to all
requests.
V. We treat co-workers and other colleagues with respect, fairness, and good
faith, and advocate conditions of employment that safeguard the rights and
welfare of all employees of our institutions.
VI. We do not advance private interests at the expense of library users,
colleagues, or our employing institutions.
VII. We distinguish between our personal convictions and professional duties
and do not allow our personal beliefs to interfere with fair representation
of the aims of our institutions or the provisions of access to their
information resources.
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