Notes from the Underground

Our readers say it best. To join the discussion, click here.

“The LOC is known to be the best library in the world - is an exhibit area really worth loosing that reputation and becoming just another tourist attraction?”

“As a scholar, I find the LOC’s decision a slap in the face of the entire scholarly community. What is the primary mission of the LOC? Not exhibit halls or daily attendance records, but the collection and preservation of precious texts that researchers can access at their will. This is what Thomas Jefferson envisioned.”

“As a Russianist I am always getting notes about the various archives and reading rooms that are closing indefinitely for "remont" over in Russia, thereby rendering their collections off-limits (or extremely hard to access) to researchers. I never thought this would happen in the US. It's appalling.”

It Would Be Amusing, Were It Not So Sad

The LC administration apparently has proposed an amusing idea: move the European Reading Room into a "corner office": the Southeast Pavilion (behind the current area).

I would highly encourage everyone to go look at this space for yourselves. Good for cocktail parties, no doubt, but where will they put the books that line two floors of the current reading room? How in the world are you going to organize staff desks and reference materials into a circle--and provide electrical service in the middle of a marble floor?

Furthermore, this would destroy the symmetry of the building, whereby the European and Africa-Middle East rooms flank the Great Hall (see here). This is not just aesthetically displeasing, it's a demotion for the entire European region, even though the European Reading Room has the highest usage.

One can assume that the whole purpose of this is to use the current space for exhibitions or private events. Therefore researchers will have to walk through a gaggle of tourists or lobbyists in order to get their reading space. And there's no doubt that the environment will not be conducive for reading. I can just imagine the looks on the faces of our colleagues from the Lenin Library of Bibliotheque Nationale, when they confront this nightmare.

Time to go back to the drawing board. It would be amusing if it were not so sad. Keep getting those messages in to Congress (link here for info). We need to stand up for common sense.

Let Congress Know

If you want to make a difference by helping to preserve the European Reading Room, let Congress know. Congress has a special joint committee for oversight of the Library of Congress. Here are the members. You can get links to their email addresses by clicking here.

• Sen. Dianne Feinstein, CA, Chairman
• Rep. Robert A. Brady, PA, Vice Chairman
• Rep. Zoe Lofgren, CA
• Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, CT
• Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, FL
• Sen. Charles E. Schumer, NY
• Rep. Vernon Ehlers, MI
• Sen. Robert F. Bennett, UT
• Rep. Dan Lungren, CA
• Sen. Ted Stevens, AK

Also make sure to copy the following people:

Dr. James Billington
Librarian of Congress
LM-608
101 Independence Avenue, S.E.
Washington, DC 20540-1000
jbil@loc.gov

and

Dr. Jeremy Adamson (jadamson@loc.gov)
Dr. Deanna Marcum (dmarcum@loc.gov)

What's the Issue?

By May, the Library of Congress's European Reading Room could be no more. This exquisite facility has been the home for graduate students, foreign visitors, and world-class researchers of all types. It is staffed by some of the best reference professionals and materials available, and is one-of-a-kind worldwide. Losing it would damage not only American students but would be a slap in the face of our European colleagues who come to the U.S. to study -- in recognition of the immense value of the Library of Congress. No other reading room is on the chopping block. Those who value American-European cultural exchange and the Library of Congress's role in it need to make their voices heard NOW. Learn more from the posts below or join us now -- if you do not have a gmail account, write us here and we will add you to our listserv.