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Montana State Library Plan under FireA plan to restrict public access to physical collections at the Montana State Library in Helena as the library makes a major transition to digital access came under heavy criticism in mid-October after MSL Director Darlene Staffeldt talked openly about the proposal to news media before its scheduled announcement November 1. In an October 13 Associated Press report, Staffeldt said the library could not afford to offer both digital and walk-in services. According to an October 19 AP report, MSL was rethinking the plan after the governor’s office made it clear that the library needed to seek comment from the public and advice from other state agency heads before it went further. Gov. Brian Schweitzer said that his “blood pressure went up” when he learned of the library’s plans, while the Montana Newspaper Association said the public had the right to physically access state documents. “Our next step,” MSL Digital Library Administrator Jim Hill told American Libraries, “is to take this draft plan to the governor’s office, to all state agency heads, to state agency librarians, and other stakeholders, and get their buy-in before we actually make a change. We would have preferred to have the governor weigh in on it before the discussion went public. The state librarian’s and the governor’s schedules haven’t yet offered an opportunity for them to meet.” The draft Digital Library Transition Plan, dated September 17, called for the following steps to be taken as of January 1, 2008:
The plan was developed in response to a March 2004 report by Bozeman library consultant Mary C. Bushing, who concluded, “Attempting to fulfill the function of library as ‘place’ with hours, walk-in services, and collections, while also being an effective facilitator in an efficient electronic or virtual resource environment for state government employees is too diversified a role” given the limited funding available. It also calls for collaboration with the Montana Historical Society and the Lewis and Clark Library, both in Helena, which would offer public access to printed and digital resources. Hill told American Libraries that the library had intended to offer a “digitize on demand” service for patrons seeking documents that were issued before state agencies began issuing them electronically. “We would develop the capability, either in-house or through a sister agency, to digitize print materials upon request and turn them around in a reasonable time,” he said. “As a result of all of the issues raised from the news coverage,” Hill added, “the message is that our patrons do not want to lose access. Whether that will translate into our seeking additional funds to continue library operations as we have been, I can’t say.” Posted October 19, 2007. |
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