Collected Thoughts

First JEB! Wanted to sell off the State Library to a private college. That was thwarted.

Now, mysteriously, the State Library begins its new plans to offer more efficent service---no more browsing in the stacks.

That's right! Now instead of bothering yourself by browsing in the stacks and looking for a book or other materials, they must go to the service desk and then ask for it.

This is a quote:

The state librarian said the new closed-stacks policy is positive all-around - a way to boost circulation, increase efficiency and improve services to users of the circulating collection.

Asked where the idea came from, Ring replied, "It's not unusual. The idea where you contact a reference librarian is done at the Library of Congress and other state libraries."

You see there are 350,000 items that will now be in the closed stacks. Currently about 21,000 items circulate regularly the idea is if you close the stacks more people will check things out!

They also say that they are trying to protect rare items however Florida related materials will be still remain open for browsing including rare and valuable items. However these items can't be checked.

Now granted this may have nothing to do with JEB! but in light of him trying to dismantle the library and sell it to a private college for what amounted to about $30/book I'm suscipcious. Particularly since under the agreement that was made with Nova Univeristy the university could throw away any books they deemed unnecessary and restrict access to the books.

Especially since the idea seems to have come down from the Secretary of State.