THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 30, 1996 TAG: 9603300012
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 35 lines
Regarding the recent dismissals at the Chrysler Museum, particularly the dismissal of Rena Hudgins, who had been the head librarian for many years: Though many people outside the museum field may not know, a museum librarian is an essential member of a museum staff, for it is he/she who holds the key to the in-house resources for the curators and education staff as well as visiting museum professionals, scholars and the general public.
As a former art-history student at Old Dominion University, I found the Chrysler Museum Library to be a vital resource for papers as well as general research. My senior year I interned at the Chrysler Museum and spent a considerable amount of time in the library, where Ms. Hudgins was always willing to help and never tired of my numerous questions.
We are exceedingly fortunate to have a museum the caliber of the Chrysler in Norfolk, but the lack of a knowledgeable librarian, to make resources readily available, defeats much of the museum's purpose, i.e., to educate. The library had already been forced to cut back to three days a week and now, without a librarian, it is of little use to the public.
Librarians, like so many other professionals, are badly underpaid, even though they usually must possess a master's degree in library science and maintain a wealth of knowledge few of us could live without!
MARTHA RANDOLPH JONES
Chesapeake, March 22, 1996 by CNB