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Fwd: FW: Hoover Institution closing? (fwd)



Forwarded from GovDoc-L.
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>
> little FYI from H-Labor  -- anyone aware of any
> details?
>
> cindi
>
> cindi wolff
> Project Manager
> Wirtz Labor Library [yes, you're reading it right]
> Washington, D.C.
> 202-692-6992
> wolff-cindi@dol.gov
>
>
> From:   Seth Wigderson[SMTP:seth.wigderson@gte.net]
> Sent:   Monday, December 04, 2000 11:17 AM
> To:     H-LABOR@H-NET.MSU.EDU
> Subject:        Hoover Institution closing?
>
> Thanx to Andrew Lee <leea@elmer4.bobst.nyu.edu> for
> forwarding this dire
> message from Karin Hall. SW
> - - - - -
>
> ****************************************************
> >As a result of administrative funding reductions
> and merging
> >decisions, the Hoover Library will cease collecting
> on August
> >31, 2001; its unique and valuable collection will
> either be
> >integrated into the Stanford Library system, or
> placed in remote
> >storage facilities, or both.
> >
> >This is nothing short of a calamity, since a large
> percentage of
> >the books in Hoover's collection are not only rare,
> but not
> >available anywhere else in the world. One cannot
> but assume that
> >administration officials were unfamiliar with the
> greater impact
> >of their decision, in this case
> >disregarding the value of the Hoover Library
> holdings, thinking
> >only of the uniqueness of the Hoover Archive. For
> the scholar
> >using the Hoover archival holdings for research, it
> is impossible
> >to separate the two. In the past, anyone working,
> for example, on
> >the Labor History of any country in Europe, could
> rely on the
> >vast Library collection of books, pamphlets,
> newspapers, and a
> >plethora of political tracts on the subject, and
> will mourn the
> >loss of that unique resource, not even available
> on-line. One
> >wonders what will become of all the extensive,
> obscure European
> >Newspaper and pamphlet collections, spanning the
> political
> >spectrum from one extreme to the other, dating from
> the period
> >between both World Wars to the present, or the
> significance of
> >having access to the actual issue of American
> Military overseas
> >"Stars and Stripes" publications, or the rare items
> from the
> >period of National Socialism in Germany, many of
> which represent
> >materials that were confiscated and destroyed
> during and after
> >WWII, all too many unavailable elsewhere. And these
> are less than
> >a fraction of what Hoover Library holds in the
> category of German
> >History, not to mention the other countries of
> Europe, of Russia,
> >Africa, and the Middle East.
> >
> >  In addition and importantly, Hoover Library's
> extensive Current
> >  Periodicals holdings of political publications
> from the
> >  above-named countries exist nowhere else in
> collected and
> >  catalogued form. While this is not material that
> anyone but the
> >  few read today, it is tomorrow's essential
> historical resource.
> >  Hoover Library is unique in its maintenance of
> these materials,
> >  and the tracking of fringe political groups. If
> the library and
> >  its knowledgeable staff and curators are
> disbanded, who, for
> >  example, will continue collecting what will be
> tomorrow's
> >  obscure and rare research material?
> >
> >  While definitive plans have not been made public,
> the fact that
> >  the collection will no longer be easily
> accessible in its
> >  entirety by both the academy and the general
> public is a
> >  certainty. However this decision came to be, it
> seems certain
> >  that it was made in complete ignorance of the
> value to scholars
> >  of the rare, unique, and extensive collection,
> nowhere available
> >  in the world. Only those of us who have benefited
> from having
> >  such material available under one roof, from the
> ceaselessly
> >  obliging and friendly service provided by a staff
> that goes out
> >  of its way to accommodate all patrons, know what
> will be lost to
> >  us all. And by all I mean all; while one of the
> unique
> >  characteristics of Hoover has been
> >the fact that virtually anyone, from anywhere in
> the world, has
> >had ready access to its facilities and its
> collection. More than
> >to the academic community, the loss will be to the
> independent
> >scholar, heretofore welcome with open arms at the
> Library; they
> >no longer will have access to the holdings once
> these are
> >incorporated into the library system of Stanford, a
> private
> >university.
> >
> >  Hoover Library has been a unique place from its
> inception. And
> >  throughout the years, the curatorial staff has
> diligently added
> >  to the collection, not only old and valuable
> texts, but also the
> >  latest publications in subject areas that few
> Libraries even
> >  consider. I have heard scholars from Germany
> exclaim at the
> >  variety of books, even material recently
> published in Germany,
> >  available at Hoover Library but not in Germany.
> And one must
> >  mention the fact that, while much of Hoover's
> collection is
> >  listed in the Stanford on-line catalogue, what
> seem to be more
> >  than half its holdings are listed only in its
> old-fashioned card
> >  catalogue.
> >
> >  To see this collection dissembled in haphazard
> fashion, the card
> >  catalogue no longer accessible, is unfathomable
> and a serious
> >  matter indeed. The Stanford University Library
> system has all
> >  its books listed on-line, but it is questionable
> whether the
> >  Hoover collection's card catalogue will be
> incorporated any time
> >  soon.
> >
> >  While the decision for consolidation was made on
> the watch of
> >  Dr. C. Rice (now with the Bush campaign), the
> current Provost,
> >  Dr. John Etchemendy (etch@csli.stanford.edu) is
> the person who
> >  should hear from all of us.
> >
> >  It is necessary for the greater community of
> scholars to become
> >  involved in this matter, to make their opinions
> known to Office
> >  of the Provost at Stanford University 94305,
> attn. Dr. John
> >  Etchemendy. As "The Hoover" itself was so vital
> and essential in
> >  preserving many keys to the past, we have the
> opportunity now to
> >  try to save this splendid resource before it
> becomes an
> >  irretrievable victim of short-sighted
> administrative
> >  streamlining.
> >
> >W. Karin Hall Ph.D.
> >History, Modern Europe/Eastern Europe
> >KarinHall@stanfordalumni.org


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