The Library of Michigan traces its lineage back to 1828, when a young Michigan government established its first library at the capital which was then in Detroit. Since its inception over 180 years ago, the library has survived many economic crises and even a severe fire in 1951 to become one of the best institutions of its kind in the country. Unfortunately, it looks like it may not survive the administration of Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
The governor has decided to break up the Library and disperse its contents in an effort to reduce expenditures. To sell this idea the collection has largely been portrayed as an assemblage of materials relating to family history, and indeed it is a great repository for genealogical inquiry.
However, the Library of Michigan is also the largest collection of printed Michigania in the world. It is safe to say that the authors of practically every article and book written about some facet of Michigan's history have visited the State Library and/or State Archives in the course of researching their publications.
But the Library of Michigan represents more than just a rich harvest of printed materials from and about our state. It is also the only institution in Michigan that attempts to comprehensively gather a complete set of U.S. government publications. When and if this collection is broken up, there will no longer exist within our borders a full federal documents depository.
The Library of Michigan has these impressive textual and cartographic assets because it was created, in part, to be an informational resource for the benefit of state government. One of its main purposes is to serve as a conveniently-located treasury of data and wisdom that judges, legislators and state employees can draw upon when needed in the course of doing their respective jobs. To now disassemble this storehouse of knowledge and facts is surely one of the most ill-advised decisions ever made by a chief executive of this state.
The governor's attempt to dismantle the Library of Michigan can be reversed by the Legislature if action is taken in the very near future. Fortunately, a measure to undo this shortsighted cost-cutting effort was recently approved by the Senate. If the Democratically-controlled House of Representatives can be convinced to do the same, the center of enlightenment for state government can yet be saved.
This pruning or scattering of state government's accrued intellectual assets and preserved documentary memory is mainly supported by individuals who are members of the governor's political party. People who disagree with their views as to the future of the State Library should ask these lawmakers to change their minds now before it is too late to protect an essential part of Michigan's cultural heritage.
For the full letter, see Le Roy Barnett, 'Still time to save library', Lansing State Journal, September 9, 2009.
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