European Reading Room staff were told mid-afternoon Tuesday that the Library has set May 1, 2008 as "Demolition Day" -- the demolition of the current European Reading Room will begin on that day for conversion to exhibition space.
The goal of the Library is to have the Southeast Pavilion ready as a functioning reading room by April 21, only thirteen working days from now. As of this afternoon, there was still no clear idea how equipping the new space as a reading room would be funded, much less actually implemented in fewer than three weeks.
Letters of concern and protest are critical now, especially to the Librarian of Congress (email:
jbil@loc.gov, or libofc@loc.gov; fax 202-707-1714).
Thanks to everyone for their support.
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2 comments:
thanks so much for posting this. your well-reasoned thoughts reached me here in suburban Philly where I've sent off an email to the Library of Congress. - Ruth Z Deming
This is absolutely absurd. I'm tired of LC selling itself out as a tourist exhibit. I'm sorry, but we have plenty of those around the DC area. If the LC is so adamant about putting on an exhibit on the life of Abraham Lincoln, fund something in the newly renovated Smithsonian Museum of American History. The LC is a place for scholars, and I certainly do not want to lose this reading room.
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