Just to show that it is not only museums in South Afsrica that have problems
                          Aloha,  Tom Burlch
 
 
 
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>Date: Thu, 04 Mar 1999 11:33:56 -1000
>To: [log in to unmask]
>From: "Robert H. Cowie" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: mollusca Bishop Museum (the Hawaii State Museum)
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>
>To all:
>
>As you may have heard, the Bishop Museum Friday 26 February layed off
>approximately 20 staff and reduced time for another 12 people. Six of these
>staff were employed in natural sciences.
>
>The Bishop Museum is a privately funded institution that derives the great
>majority of its operating funds through admission fees, contributions,
>trusts, bequests, grants and contracts.
>
>Because of a stagnant Hawaiian economy, lower-than expected returns on
>investments, delays in expecting large grants and contracts, and a
>significant reduction in state subsidy, the Museum has had to implement a
>cost-reduction plan involving the elimination or reduction of some of our
>activities.
>
>For the next four months (until the new fiscal year), no collections
>transactions (accessions, deaccessions, and loans) will be carried out and
>no access will be provided to collections by researchers and scholars
>unless specifically funded or obligated through existing grants or
>contracts. Basic maintenance (care and preservation) of all collections
>will continue.
>
>For those of you that have already made plans to come and use our
>collections, we will honor those obligations. For all others, this
>restricted access will unfortunately be in force until further notice.
>
>These reductions will in no way affect our current grant and
>contract-funded obligations, nor will it lessen our commitment to the care
>of collections. The activities that have been reduced were those that we
>normally funded through museum operating funds, which have now been
>severely cutback.
>
>In the meantime we are working with our state legislature to try to
>increase our state appropriation (during the past few years it has been
>reduced by more than $2.1 million to $381,000 today).  Many of you wrote
>letters of support last year and this helped us to retain some state
>support (last year our allocation was reduced from ca. $800,000 to
>$381,000).  If you would again like to write in support of Bishop Museum
>please send your letters to Dr. Allen Allison, Vice President for Science,
>Bishop Museum, 1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96817.  Fax
>808-847-8252, e-mail [log in to unmask]  We will distribute letters to key
>legislators and state officials.
>
>Many thanks for your concern and for your support.
>
>
>Allen Allison                           Neal Evenhuis
>Vice President, Research                Chair, Natural Sciences
>
>
>
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> Robert H. Cowie, Ph.D.
> Department of Natural Sciences
> Bishop Museum
> 1525 Bernice Street
> Honolulu, Hawaii 96817-2704
> USA
>
> Phone:        (808) 848 4118
> Fax:  (808) 847 8252
> Web:  http://hbs.bishop.hawaii.org/cowie.html
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
--
Thomas A. Burch and Beatrice L. Burch
P.O. Box 309, Kailua, Hawaii, USA 96734
Phone: 808-261-7465  FAX: 808-263-6408
e-mail: [log in to unmask]