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The library is used by many people who are not traditional academics teaching at local colleges and universities. In my own work as a freelance writer and magazine writer and editor, not only have I used the library myself, I have come in contact with many people whose work could not be done without the library. They author books such as "Oregon Geographic Names" or "Classic Houses of Portland," which are found in many Oregon homes and paged through with great interest because of what they tell us about where we live. Architects, builders planners, and preservationists need its materials to apply, for example, for historic designations, for grants, or to receive tax credits, etc. that lead to economic revitalization. There is business that is done in Oregon that requires access to the library.  I'm sure the legislature that is so slow to provide funding for it has needed to access its materials from time to time.

I am a fifth-generation Oregonian, and I find it very troubling that it is no longer possible for the state's residents to examine the maps, manuscripts, photos, and diaries of the people who built--and continue to build--this state. I wonder how donors feel about the fact that materials they gave are no longer accessible. 

It looks as if the sesquicentennial will turn out to be, not a celebration of Oregon's history, but the end of it. 

posted 4 years, 2 months ago
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