Hi Peggy,
Heard a bit on NPR about the Veterans History Project. Diane Kresh
introduced hereself as overseeing the VHP.
I gave a fun presentation to our local Rotary group - about 200
in attendance - on VHP. by way of introducing a local middle school
teacher who did VHP with kids and vets. She brought 4 vets and 3
kids to talk about the experience. A real hit!
Penn
----------
>From: Peggy Bulger <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: National Library Realignment
>Date: Thu, May 27, 2004, 5:32 AM
>
> Dear Penn,
>
> Thank you for your thoughts and this post. I will get back with you
> after Memorial Day. As you may know, we are all involved with the
> Veterans History Project Pavilion on the Mall and with VHP Congressional
> Open House here at the Library. We begin today in about one hour and
> we'll be working on the Mall through Sunday. Everyone is back in the
> office on Tuesday.
>
> With all good wishes to everyone for a terrific Memorial Day weekend,
>
> Peggy
>
> Peggy A. Bulger, Director
> American Folklife Center
> Library of Congress
> 101 Independence Ave, SE
> Washington, DC 20450
> (202) 707-1745
> (202) 707-2076 FAX
> [log in to unmask]
> http://www.loc.gov/folklife
>
>>>> [log in to unmask] 5/27/2004 12:09:36 AM >>>
> Hello Peggy,
>
> I'm just catching up on my e-mails which afords me the opportunity
> to see what others have felt about the future changes. I appreciate
> Dan's response in particular and wonder if others have responded -
> if they have would you send them my way. I would like to know where
> other fellow board members sit.
> With our new board rules and governance in place, it is interesting to
> see how it now impacts us. I think it is a good thing that you have
> asked AFC staffers not to contact us directly but instead go through
> you. To that end, I was wondering if you could make available to us
> the staff memo sent to Deanna about AFC concerns. That would give me
> a better sense of the issues at hand.
> Perhaps a little clarification in regards to our new placement. You
> mentioned that we are one of several "highly visible divisions." Who
> else is with us? That might give me a better idea of our future
> "home"
>
> Also you noted that the new placement "offers us major opportunities
> to
> expand outreach and educational initiatives." Can you expand on that
> with some specifics.
>
> I suspect the underlying concern is the move out of collections and
> whether we will still have control over the archives. It is the heart
> and soul of the Center. Following up on Dan's question about the role
> of the board in this matter - what is the role of the board - and is
> it
> up to the board to decide what the AFC is - and where its heart and
> soul
> is - and where it fits in best in the Library. And if that is the
> case,
> then we as a board need to make it a goal to carefully monitor the
> future since it feels like this new placment is a done deal and our
> input won't mean much. Nevertheless we can remain vigilent and vocal
> where necessary. So we need to discuss our role in this matter.
>
> I am not surprised about the funding. The winds of change are coming.
> Again do we as a board participate in the overall direction of funding
> where emphasis needs to be place, where cuts should be made.
>
> Lots of fertile ground to hoe.
>
> Penn
>
> ----------
>>From: Peggy Bulger <[log in to unmask]>
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: National Library Realignment
>>Date: Fri, May 21, 2004, 5:28 AM
>>
>
>> Dear Board:
>>
>> Many of you had the priviledge of meeting Deanna Marcum, Associate
>> Librarian for Library Services, at our last Board meeting and you
> know
>> what a wonderful advocate and asset she is for us all, as she spoke
> of
>> her vision for the Library of the 21st century. Deanna has met with
> all
>> of the LS Directors and Chiefs to present a realignment of our
>> operations that will facilitate our transition into the 21st
> century.
>> Taking into account the need for Library Services to accomplish
> digital
>> preservation; to capture and care for born-digital collections; to
> look
>> to our users to improve our processes and activities; to ensure that
> our
>> collections are central to all of our work; and to develop new
>> partnerships both inside and outside the LC, Deanna has presented us
>> with a plan and vision that will help accomplish these important
> goals.
>>
>> In the realignment, the American Folklife Center and it's Veterans
>> History Project are placed in a new Directorate, "Partnerships and
>> Outreach Programs" with many of the other highly visible divisions
> in
>> the LC. This new directorate offers major opportunities for AFC to
>> expand our outreach and education initiatives and to continue to
> grow
>> and prosper as a major asset to the Library. Deanna Marcum has
> assured
>> me that this organizational realignment will not compromise our
> status
>> as a collections-based division, with curatorial control over the
>> largest ethnographic archive in the country.
>>
>> The AFC staff developed a memo that outlined all of their concerns
>> about the possible effects of the realignment, and I passed that memo
> on
>> to Deanna on Wednesday. Deanna has been steadfast in her support of
> the
>> AFC/VHP, and has assured me that our archival support will continue
> as
>> before, when we were part of Public Service Collections Directorate
> and
>> Diane Kresh's leadership. Deanna has also said that she wants to
> meet
>> with our staff to personally answer questions and concerns. I have
> the
>> greatest confidence in her vision and her interest in seeing the AFC
>> fulfill it's mission. The AFC/VHP will be a key component to the
> new
>> Partnerships and Outreach Programs Directorate, and we intend to work
> as
>> a team to continue the important work of the Archive of Folk Culture
> as
>> our base and touchstone.
>>
>> In our Governance Policies, the Board-Director Linkage Policy states
>> "The board's official connection to the operating organization, its
>> achievement, and conduct will be through its Director." I have
> asked
>> the staff to abide by our Board Governance Policies -- to bring any
>> concerns to me directly and I will convey these to you all. I know
> that
>> you will help me to enforce this policy as we move forward. I am
> here
>> if you have any questions or concerns, just give me a call.
>>
>> Also, in our Governance Policies under "Financial Planning and
>> Budgeting" it is stated: "The Director shall not fail to inform
> the
>> Board in a timely fashion of any deviation in the expenditure of the
> AFC
>> Congressional appropriation." For the first time since I have been
> at
>> the Library, Library Services is experiencing a major deficit for
> this
>> fiscal year, for many reasons. Deanna Marcum and all of the staff
> are
>> working extremely hard to minimize the effects of this deficit and
> to
>> balance the budget. All this to say that we are all in a holding
>> pattern for hiring our open positions, as we get a handle on
> expenses.
>> Many of you have inquired about Jim Hardin's replacement and our two
>> other open positions. I am working with Diane Kresh and Deanna
> Marcum
>> to fill those as soon as humanly possible. I will let you know
> updates
>> on this, and I am hopeful that next fiscal year will be brighter.
> On
>> the up-side, we have been able to fill several VHP positions that
> are
>> critical to our operations.
>>
>> In the meantime, we are preparing for four days of activity on the
>> National Mall for the National World War II Reunion. The Reunion is
>> produced by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
> in
>> partnership with the American Battle Monuments Commission. The
> Veterans
>> History Project of the American Folklife Center will be programming
> a
>> pavilion for the entire weekend, and Diane Kresh has been extremely
> busy
>> organizing a major "army" of volunteers to collect "Man on the Mall"
>> interviews for our VHP collection. If any of you are in town,
> please
>> stop by the VHP pavilion. Also, please tune in to your local NPR
>> station on Memorial Day . . . we have over 85 outlets signed up to
>> broadcast our second VHP radio show, "Lest We Forget".
>>
>> Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
>>
>> Best,
>>
>> Peggy
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Peggy A. Bulger, Director
>> American Folklife Center
>> Library of Congress
>> 101 Independence Ave, SE
>> Washington, DC 20450
>> (202) 707-1745
>> (202) 707-2076 FAX
>> [log in to unmask]
>> http://www.loc.gov/folklife
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