The Florida State Genealogical Society, an umbrella organization of more than 80 societies in the state, strongly opposes Gov. Jeb Bush?s budget proposal to dismantle the State Library of Florida and the State Archives and move the contents to other state departments. We feel that other departments, such as the Department of Environmental Protection, are not qualified to oversee and preserve the historical and archival materials. Beginning of the statement of the Genealogical Society (visit the website for more actual information). Genealogical researchers in Florida fear that Gov. Bush's proposal would:
1.Dismantle a popular and priceless library collection [...]
2.Breakup our one-stop genealogical research complex that contains the State Library, State Archives, and State Museum, all next to each
other. [...]
7.Threaten the State Archives' Florida Memory Project that makes available online many of the state's historical and genealogical records, including more than 90,000 photographs, pension application files, Spanish land grants, and Call and Brevard Family Papers.
The Society of Florida Archivists is part of a coalition to oppose Governor Bush's proposed budget regarding the dismantling of the Florida State Library and Archives. You can read the news at the Listserv of the Society's mailing list.
Press' Articles from Florida are linked in a Florida Weblog.
Residents outside the U.S. can also sign the Online Petition for saving the State Library.
Please show your solidarity!
NB: An update can be found here.