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Help Save Clayton Genealogical Library



> 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 can't 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 
> Library's 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 
> library's budget shortfalls, but it is going to 
> cause an even greater impact to Houston's 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 
> library's 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@cityofhouston.net  >.
> 
> Editor, Houston Chronicle newspaper: Viewpoints, 
> Houston Chronicle, P. O. Box 4260, Houston, Texas 
> 77210 or e-mail <  viewpoints@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@cityofhouston.net >
> 
> Annise Parker, City Council At Large Position 1, e-
> mail 
> < atlarge1@cityofhouston.net >
> 
> Gordon Quan, City Council At Large Position 2, e-
> mail 
> < atlarge2@cityofhouston.net >
> 
> Shelly Sekula Rodriguez, M.D., City Council At Large 
> Position 3, e-mail 
> < atlarge3@cityofhouston.net >
> 
> Michael Berry, City Council At Large Position 4, e-
> mail 
> < atlarge4@cityofhouston.net >
> 
> Carroll G. Robinson, City Council At Large Position 
> 5, e-mail 
> < atlarge5@cityofhouston.net >
> 
> Bruce Tatro, City Council Dist. A, e-mail 
> < bruce.tatro@cityofhouston.net >
> 
> Carol Mims Galloway, City Council Dist. B, e-mail 
> < districtb@cityofhouston.net >
> 
> Mark Goldberg, City Council Dist. C, e-mail 
> < districtc@cityofhouston.net >
> 
> Ada Edwards, City Council Dist. D, e-mail 
> < districtd@cityofhouston.net >
> 
> Addie Wiseman, City Council Dist. E, e-mail 
> < districte@cityofhouston.net >
> 
> Mark Ellis, City Council Dist. F, e-mail
> < districtf@cityofhouston.net >
> 
> Bert Keller, City Council Dist. G, e-mail 
> < districtg@cityofhouston.net >
> 
> Gabriel Vasquez, Ph.D., City Council Dist. H, e-mail 
> < districth@cityofhouston.net >
> 
> Carol Alvarado, City Council Dist. I, e-mail 
> < districti@cityofhouston.net >
> 
> 
> ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
> Lynna Kay Shuffield 
> P. O. Box 16604 
> Houston, Texas 77222 
>     telephone: 713/692-4511 
>     e-mail: friday@argohouston.com 
>                  
> 
> 
> 
> 

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