Highlights Archives
"Safeguarding a Public Legacy" Highlights Critical Needs
The Society's library and archives began a long road to improving their future as a consequence of action taken on February 14 by the Board of Curators to adopt recommendations of a six-month study, "Safeguarding a Public Legacy." The report made recommendations to redress serious budget problems affecting library and archives operations.
 Society Library as seen from the third floor balcony ― Wisconsin Historical Society photo Shortly after the Board of Curators adopted the report, a new round of projected cuts to the Society’s budget underscored the seriousness of the Society’s situation. The governor's proposed budget for the upcoming 2003-05 biennium reduces the Society's state appropriation by another $3 million ($1.5 million annually). The budget also eliminates another thirty staff positions, a 24-percent cut in the state-funded workforce. These cuts are on top of the cuts a year ago that prompted the study. No other state agency with more than fifteen positions would face a higher percentage cut of state-funded workforce than the Society.
The library and archives' holdings comprise the nation's largest collection exclusively about North American history and have served as the University of Wisconsin-Madison's North American history research collection for more than a century. In a letter of support, UW-Madison Provost Peter D. Spear reiterated the importance of the collection to the university community. "Without these collections, students and faculty members in a wide range of disciplines, from the humanities to the social sciences to even some of the natural sciences, simply couldn't perform the research and teaching that are central to the university's mission."
The study spells out eight recommendations (PDF 313KB), including closer ties with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, to mitigate the immediate effects of state budget cuts. The entire text of the report and background information on the study are available online.
The report details a lengthy history of declining state support for the library and archives, a situation made dramatically worse last summer when, in the wake of falling tax revenues, the Society cut nine positions from the library and archives staff. Further cuts have been ordered before June 30, and new reductions seem likely for 2003-05 since library and archives operations account for the largest share of tax-supported dollars in the Society's budget.
For more information about the report, the study committee or the challenges facing the library and archives, contact Peter Gottlieb, division administrator, at pgottlieb@whs.wisc.edu.
:: Posted March 1, 2003
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