Hands around the State Library: Recalling an Assault on Florida History and Culture in 2003, and How We Responded

Library supporters encircle the R.A. Gray Building, the home of the State Library and Archives of Florida, to protest plans to move many of the state's collections to a private university in Broward County, 4 March 2003. Images from author's research files.

Note: I express gratitude to a few friends who provided their insight. Aside from individuals mentioned in news reports at the time, I have chosen to keep their names private because they may continue to have connections with Florida governmental entities. I do not want them to face any consequences for sharing their memories. 

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Quotes are from news wire sources at the time that I have archived and can share, if interested. Personal recollections of my involvement are included.

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Florida has garnered a lot of negative publicity recently due to a rise in censorship and ongoing challenges to intellectual freedom. While Gov. Ron DeSantis has proudly celebrated a 2021 measure he claimed will prevent "Big Tech" from censoring certain voices, under his watch Florida has led the nation in book challenges.

Twenty-one years ago, a different governor began his second term and tried to shape his legacy as the "education governor." However, when a voter-supported amendment to reduce class sizes in public schools won approval along with his re-election in November 2002, Gov. John Ellis "Jeb" Bush sought retribution by concocting a plan to give away collections in the State Library and State Archives, and eliminate employees in many cultural agencies.

The R.A. Gray Building in late 2014, at a time when the Museum of Florida History (in the building's basement) had an exhibit on Civil Rights in the Sunshine State. Photo by Jim Schnur. 

Anyone who worked in a Florida library or archive at that time remembered Jeb's foreceful threat. Historians and genealogists remained strong allies. Some of us became very vocal, spreading the word nationally and internationally, as well as carefully, knowing about Florida's poor history in tolerating academic freedom. 

We stopped Gov. Jeb Bush's ill-conceived plans to dismantle the State Library and Archives in their tracks, though some long-term damage did occur. Here are my memories of this event, shared at a time when Floridians should once again remain vigilant. Let's start with a little Florida library and archival history. 

A Problematic History

Collections maintained by the State Library of Florida, sitting in a basement, 1947. Courtesy of Florida Memory.

Libraries preserve our cultural heritage. Whether public ("the people's university"), academic ("the heart of the university"), or specialized, these repositories collect, compile, and contextualize information and knowledge.

Although Florida had libraries that dated back to statehood in 1845, Florida codified archival preservation much later than its neighbors. Alabama supported the first publicly-funded state archives in 1901, followed by Mississippi a year later. North Carolina created a state agency in 1903, and Georgia established a repository in 1918. Florida lawmakers did not mandate a State Archives until 1967.

Beautifully restored today, Florida's Old Capitol once served as the place where irreplaceable records rotted away. Photo by Jim Schnur.

A "state library" of sorts existed in the basement of the Old Capitol by 1909, "mixed and jumbled together in inextricable confusion." The collection remained uncataloged at that time, prone to infestations by rats, mice, and silverfish that found safe haven in the basement. Although the laws in place at the time allowed the Secretary of State to hire an assistant to oversee the library, the statute prohibited any salary payments from the State Treasury.

Florida did not have a true State Library until 1925, and it suffered from neglect for nearly half a century after its creation. General Acts and Resolutions Adopted by the State of Florida, 1925.

The current State Library of Florida came into existence in June 1925. Located in the Capitol, the original collection remained small. The Secretary of State and other agencies also held documents. A true commitment to collecting archival records did not occur until W.T. Cash, the State Librarian, hired Dr. Dorothy Dodd as the first State Archivist in 1941.

Dr. Dorthy Dodd: archivist, librarian, and records-saver. Courtesy of Florida Memory.

An unsung hero, Dodd spent much of her career rescuing documents that others discarded. According to a 27 March 1977 article in the Tallahassee Democrat, the "archivist with no archives" (and often no budget) saved at least 260 linear feet of territorial and state records. When Cash retired in 1951, Dodd became both the State Librarian and State Archivist. Until her retirement in 1965, she nearly singlehandedly gathered records worthy of preservation in the basement of the Capitol and state Supreme Court.

The Leon County Jail as it appeared in the 1930s. By the late 1960s, the original collections of the State Archives of Florida moved into this poorly ventilated building. Courtesy of Florida Memory.

The 1967 legislature established the Florida Board of Archives and History, the state's first effort to preserve archival collections and treat them as more than addendum in the State Library. Rotting portions of the old, unair-conditioned Leon County Jail became the first home for the nascent archives. The imprisoned records would spend nearly a decade in solitary confinement.

A library bookmobile visits the "new" Leon County Jail in 1968. By that time, the old jail become the repository for the State Archives. Courtesy of Florida Memory. 

New Collections, New Initiatives, New Challenges

R.A. Gray Building groundbreaking, November 1973. Courtesy of Florida Memory. 

The groundbreaking for the R.A. Gray Building took place on 7 November 1973, but collections did not move into the building until late 1976. Despite these delays, the State of Florida embraced a proud tradition of building archival and library collections for the next quarter-century. By the early 2000s, Florida had become a leader in preserving and digitizing collections.

Barratt Wilkins oversaw incredible transitions as State Librarian. He assumed this position in 1977, shortly after the collections moved into the R.A. Gray Building. He worked in close partnership with a number of leaders who oversaw the State Archives during the next 25 years.

Appointment of Barratt Wilkins (left) as State Librarian in 1977, with Secretary of State Bruce Smathers. Courtesy of Florida Memory. 

In 2002, Jeb Bush sought a second term as governor. Clearly ahead in the polls, he also expressed his displeasure with Amendment 9, a ballot initiative to reduce class sizes in public schools. Although the proposal had flaws, it sought to address the legislature's longstanding failure to fund education at levels to meet growing enrollment demands.

Prior to the November 2002 election, Bush claimed that he had "devious plans" to address Amendment 9 if it passed. Voters re-elected Bush. They also passed the initiative that Bush despised. A few weeks after the election, Wilkins learned that Bush had a plan to exact revenge by punishing what the governor thought would be easy targets: state-funded library, archive, and cultural heritage programs.

Wilkins knew he could not stop Bush's plans. Not wanting to be complicit in any effort to dismantle much of what he had helped to create, Wilkins retired  as State Librarian and Division Director on 6 January 2003.  Judith Ring, the Assistant Division Director, replaced Wilkins. She quietly embraced Bush's plans, even before the public knew about them. 

Uncertain Moves

The day after Wilkins departed, Jeb Bush took the oath of office for his second term. He clearly stated his objectives: "There would be no greater tribute to our maturity as a society than if we can make these buildings around us empty of workers--silent monuments to the time when government played a larger role than it deserved or could adequately fill."

When Bush talked about emptying government buildings at the beginning of his second term, many assumed his focus was on employees in the Ralph D. Turlington Florida Education Center, shown here. He had similar plans for a building two blocks to the north on S. Bronough Street. Courtesy of Florida Memory.

Shortly after the inaugural, more than half of the employees in the Florida Department of State received tentative pink slips. As supervisors gave workers instructions to talk with job counselors and seek employment elsewhere, Bush quietly worked on plans to close the State Library and Archives by the new fiscal year (1 July 2003), and lay off nearly all employees.

In addition to the State Library and Archives, Bush wanted local offices supported by the Bureau of Historic Preservation to close. He planned to place the State Museum under the Park Service.

Bush and Ring initally hoped that Florida State University (FSU) would assume responsibility for many of the collections in the R.A. Gray Building. Bush expected to save $5.4 million by transferring collections to FSU, an institution with a main library that had a history of flooding and structural issues for decades. Moving the collection would require finding non-existent space for eleven miles of shelving, along with having non-existent staff to manage the collections.

Located less than 3,500 feet northwest of the State Library, FSU's Robert Manning Strozier Library had less than enough space to store even a fraction of the collection. Photo by Jim Schnur.

T.K. Wetherell, FSU president at the time, declined the offer. A former Speaker of the House, Wetherell knew the legislature would offer no funding in the forthcoming legislative session to cover the expenses of managing the collections at the State Library and Archives. Indeed, Jeb wanted FSU to assume this responsibility while also absorbing an $18 million budget cut.

Ironically, at the time Bush and Ring quietly floated this proposal to Wetherell, the archival collections of some former FSU presidents sat within the R.A. Gray Building because the university lacked the space and staff to curate its own records!

Collections in this building faced an uncertain fate in early 2003. Photo by Jim Schnur.

A Novel Idea

With FSU no longer an option, Bush sought a different location. At a time when he hoped to save $5.4 million by closing these entities, the self-professed "education governor" proclaimed February 2003 as "Library Appreciation Month." The budget-conscious governor also sought $19 million in new funding for the "Just Read, Florida!" initiative he had launched in 2001.

Loyal minions found an alternative venue, one located 388 miles southeast of the R.A. Gray Building. Opened as a private institution in 1964, Nova University struggled to define its identity during its early years. Known as Nova Southeastern University (NSU) since 1994, the school had opened a spacious campus in Broward County, at Davie, and had ambitious plans in the new millennium.

 

NSU's library, as it appeared in 2014. Photo by Jim Schnur.

In 2001, Nova Southeastern celebrated the opening of the Alvin Sherman Library, a beautiful joint-use facility that provided circulation priveleges to Broward County residents. One of the largest libraries in Florida, the building had a lot of empty space, a situation perfect for a collection from elsewhere. 

The atrium of NSU's Sherman Library in 2014. A decade earlier, many stacks remained empty. Photo by Jim Schnur. 

The State of the Secretary

Three secretaries of state were also complicit in Jeb's plan. In addition to overseeing elections, the state's "Chief Cultural Officer" also has the responsibility of supervising the administration of the State Library and Archives, as well as the preservation of Florida's archaeological and historical resources.

James "Jim" Smith had served as Secretary of State from 1987 until 1995; he returned to this role to complete Katherine Harris's term in 2002. Shortly after he left office in January 2003, Smith went from managing the agencies Bush wanted to close to serving as a lobbyist whose clients included Nova Southeastern Univeristy. How convenient!

Smith's chief of staff, Ken Detzner, served as interim Secretary of State through most of January and February 2003 until Bush's permanent appointee, Glenda Hood, could move from Orlando to Tallahassee. During his short tenure, Detzner loyally pushed forward Bush's plans to relocate the collection to Nova. 

Detzner in 2012, after Gov. Rick Scott appointed him Secretary of State. While briefly serving in this position in an acting capacity in early 2003, his actions were truly "Bush league." Courtesy of Florida Memory.

Defending the governor, Detzner questioned whether having a State Library could be part of Florida's core mission "in tough economic times." He blamed voters for supposedly impoverishing Florida by expressing their approval of Amendment 9. After he stepped aside, Glenda Hood worked closely with Judi Ring to cement the deal to move collections to Nova. 

The State Library's webpage in early 2003. Image courtesy of the Internet Archive.

Talking, Writing Letters,  and Sending Emails

Even before the FSU transfer plans fell through at the end of January, some of us understood that Bush's "devious plans" included dismantling the State Archives and State Library. Public employees within the R.A. Gray Building shared what they knew about Judi Ring's conversations and motivations with friends on the outside.

At that time, I held a position as an assistant librarian at a Florida public university. In early February 2003, my boss called me into her office. She offered wise counsel, warning me not to get involved in any type of advocacy while at my "day job" or on "state time." 

I did not consider her warning as a threat, especially since I worked at an institution where an arrogant president had removed a popular campus administrator less than six months earlier. The administrator had tenure, and could remain as a professor. Librarians could not earn tenure, and their contracts could be non-renewed without much difficulty. 

Negotiations with Nova quietly took place as we began to raise our voices. Photo by Jim Schnur.

Using my personal email, I began sending inquiries to a variety of people. At a time when we did not know whether the collections would remain intact for the proposed move or get parceled to different places, I wrote a long and carefully-crafted letter to the editor with the title "Protect Florida History" that appeaed in the Tampa Tribune on 22 February 2003. Mike Denham, director of the Center for Florida History, Florida Southern College, had an equally powerful letter published that same day.

Some librarians began to do research on their own time. The "genies" of the Florida Genealogical Society traced the roots of this problem. Historians, anthropologists, archaeologists, and museum professionals quietly networked. Some of us carefully communicated with folks inside the R.A. Gray Building. We knew State Librarian Ring would terminate any informants she caught.

Thanks to information shared by internal sources and other concerned state employees, the Florida Historical Society launched an online petition that collected over 13,100 verified signatures in 18 days. 

Partial screenshot of the February 2003 petition by the Florida Historical Society. Image courtesy of the Internet Archive. 

With its roots originally tied tightly to the State Archives, the Society of Florida Archivists also had to tread carefully, since many of the organization's members worked within the R.A. Gray Building. Soon, despite warnings to lay low and threats of termination, our strategy took shape.

A Contract Signed, A Response Amplified

Three days after my letter appeared in the paper, Detzner and Ring signed an agreement with leadership at Nova Southeastern University. The press reported the deal the following day. This contract, if approved by the legislature, would have eliminated 41 jobs in the State Library and transferred "title, ownership and possession" of the State Library's circulating and research collections to Nova, approximately 350,000 volumes.

State Librarian Ring signed as a witness below the president of Nova Southeastern. Her boss, Secretary Detzner, did his part to make a petulant governor happy. Image from author's research files. 

The agreement stated that the private Broward County university offered to perform a valuable service by taking these materials, "thereby lessening the burdens of government." Although the agreement pledged that the State Archives would remain in Tallahassee, few of us trusted Bush, (outgoing) Detzner, (incoming) Hood, or Ring.

Claiming that Florida taxpayers would save over $10 million during his second term, Bush and his minions tried to downplay that the agreement would have paid Nova $5 million in taxpayer funds for the supposed 'burden' of taking this collection out of the state's hands.

We kept organizing. Meanwhile, Broward County commissioners wisely approved a resolution from their county library advisory board urging Bush against taking any plans to "dismantle" the State Library. 

With the legislative session beginning in March, some library supporters planned a march to the R.A. Gray Building to encircle it in support of saving the State Library.

A side view of the R.A. Gray Building during its early years. Some of us who lived far away from Tallahassee knew the inner workings of the building in early 2003. Courtesy of Florida Memory.

Weapons of Library Destruction

Trying to deflect press criticism, Bush changed his reasoning for the move. Less than a month before his older brother in the White House used the false pretense of "weapons of mass destruction" as a valid excuse to start the Iraq War, Jeb proposed that potential hostilities in Iraq offered him justification to close the State Library as a way to save taxpayer money that might be needed if war began.

Bush claimed to be "offended" by those (including me) who believed that he cared litle about Florida history. Detzner championed his boss, saying that funding Jeb's "Just Read, Florida!" initiative offered ample proof of his love of libraries. 

We continued planning our counteroffensive.

The legislative session began on the first of March. Two days later, Lieutenant Gov. Frank Brogan resigned to become president of Florida Atlantic University, another Broward County institution, part of Florida's ongoing trend of public officials getting rewarded with fancy new jobs--and enhanced pensions--for showing fealty to the regime in power.

For a brief period of time, rumors circulated the Glenda Hood might become Jeb's choice for lieutenant governor, though she continued to do his bidding in libraryland.

Sharing my thoughts, as a historian, with the American Historical Association, March 2003. Image from author's research files.

As Brogan made his move, I debated mine. I had already shared comments with the American Historical Association that would soon appear on their webpage, as well as a testimonial I provided for the Florida Library Association. 

To give my statements some level of credence, I set aside my library garb and wore my historian hat. At the time, I adjuncted at Eckerd College, and the Florida history courses I taught gave my public statements a little more swagger at a moment when needed. I carefully refrained from identifying myself with my "day job," though many others knew where I worked.

My testimonial for the Florida Library Association, February 2003. Image from author's research files.

As much as I wanted to drive to Tallahassee on the night of 3 March 2003, I chose not to. I had a mortgage to pay and knew, as a public employee, I could contribute more successfully from the sidelines than with a sign. 

And I did. Usually in ways I kept secret from the place I worked during the day.

Hands around the State Library, 4 March 2003. Image from author's research files. 

Chopping down Bush's Budgetary Debacle

In retrospect, I regret not being in Tallahassee on 4 March 2003. As Bush delivered his "State of the State" to lawmakers, hundreds gathered around the R.A. Gray Building. Some chanted, "Send Bush to Nova," while all clasped hands in solidarity. 

Newly appointed Secretary of State Glenda Hood appeared before the protestors. When she told the crowd that Nova would increase accessibility and efficiency by offering the same interlibrary services the State Library had performed for decades, library supporters swarmed around her and interrupted her speech.

Judi Ring presents Glenda Hood with an oversized card on Hood's last day as Secretary of State, 2005. Early in their time in Tallahassee, both Ring and Hood strongly advocated for the move of State Library collections to a private institution. Courtesy of Florida Memory. 

Similar to the way that a public librarian instinctively knows that most cookbooks have Dewey Decimal Call numbers of "641.5," some in attendance carried signs referring to "Chapter 257.01," Laws of Florida, the statute mandating that the State Library "shall be located at the capital." 

In many February through April 2003 emails I wrote late at night requesting records from Broward County and Tallahassee under Chapter 119 (the state's Public Records Act), I cited Chapter 257.01. Unfortunately and unsurprisingly, nearly all of my requests for information under the state's supposed "Sunshine Law" went unanswered.

John Szabo, director of the Clearwater Public Library System from 1999 to 2005, former director of the Palm Harbor Library, and a leader in the Florida Library Association, was one of many librarians whose efforts led to the end of the move that Bush, Hood, and Ring advocated. Image from author's research files.

A couple of days after the protest, the bill to move most of the State Library' s collection to Nova started moving through the legislature. Then, something important happened. Although the majority of house and senate members shared the same partisan connections as the governor, they listened to their constituents, instead of caving into Jeb's demands. 

We continued our advocacy. Many Floridians expressed their support for our cause, as did archivists, genealogists, historians, librarians, and library science faculty throughout the world.

The sine die ceremony in 2007. Four years earlier, Bush's library plans died when the handkerchieves hit the ground. Courtesy of Florida Memory. 

At the end of each Florida legislative session, for decades, lawmakers have assembled for a little drama in front of the cameras. In the sine die ceremony, the sergeants of arms for the house and senate drop handkerchieves to signal the official end of the session. At sine die in 2003, Bush's plans to give away the collections died.

A Ringing Response

Bush licked his wounds. Lawmakers gave him a budget that reduced spending for library services by a few million dollars, eliminated more than a dozen vacant positions, and kept his "Just Read, Florida!" program intact.  Alia Faraj, his spokeswoman, continued to praise Jeb for the efficiencies his failed privatization plans would have delivered.

Governor Jeb Bush meeting with his older brother, President George Bush, at the White House in May 2002, to protect Florida's coastlines from drilling. Courtesy of Florida Memory.

Bill Spann, Hood's communications director, complained on 30 June 2003 that "some misinformation going around at the time" had destroyed a perfectly good plan. Ignoring events prior to Hood's arrival, Spann spun the fiction that "the Florida Collection and the archives were never put on the table, that was never part of the debate."

That same day, former State Librarian Wilkins praised those who fought to save the State Archives and Library: "We owe it to the newspapers, the librarians, and the genealogists for raising public awareness. It was the key to diminishing the possibility of dismantling the division."

Hood and then-current State Librarian Judi Ring pledged to promote greater access to the State Library's circulating collection, safely housed in the Gray Building. One of Ring's early moves involved firing a bureau chief who ran the library.

Despite her pledge to promote access, Ring oversaw the State Library at a time when cost-saving measures often had the opposite effect. The original reading room of the State Archives on the south end of the first floor soon closed. Access to the open stacks of the State Library's circulating collection on the north end of the second floor soon ended.

The access point to the State Library's circulating collection on the south end of the second floor in 2014, long after browsing the stacks had ended. Photo by Jim Schnur.

Researchers and patrons wanting to view these collections soon had a single access point, the south end of the second floor. Browsing of the circulating collection forever came to an end.

Listserv conversations with German archivists about our efforts in Florida, June 2003. Image from author's research files.

My interest in this chapter of Florida history didn't end, however. In fact, conversations I had started on listservs with archivists in Germany (and elsewhere) continued for years to come, and never on "state time."

Unscripted Cash Infusions

As Judi Ring oversaw the scaling back of in-person public access, Jeb Bush no longer seemed worried about cutting Florida's budget to fund the Iraq War. In October 2003, just a few months after losing the battle to move the State Library, Bush called lawmakers into a special session. 

Flush with funds offered by his older brother and Congress to stimulate local economies after the September 11 tragedy two years earlier, Bush implored the legislature to find $310 million to fund a Florida branch of the Scripps Research Instititute in Palm Beach County. 

Building on the Florida Scripps campus, 2012. Image uploaded to Wikipedia by Drummerboybisch under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED.

Bush asserted that luring Scripps research facilities to one of Florida's richest counties would transform Florida in a way similar to Walt Disney's plans to build theme parks in central Florida in the late 1960s. After Bush claimed that Scripps would bring 44,000 new jobs to Florida, lawmakers fell in line. 

Initial state and local funding and subsidies exceeded $500 million. To get these incentives, the California-based institute had to commit to hiring 545 people. As FAU president, Frank Brogan--Jeb's former lieutenant governor--watched as money allocated to Scripps also enriched his university.

FAU President Brogan stayed on script when it came to Jeb's funding for Scripps. Image from FAU Collections, Florida Virtual Campus.

Despite $1.3 billion in subsidies by 2015, Scripps failed to become Disney 2.0. Meanwhile, the talented professionals at the State Library, State Archives, and other cultural offices in Florida continued to do wonders with limited staffing and unlimited demands placed upon them. 

A Legacy and Lessons Learned

A well-designed exhibit in the NSU library that celebrated Nova's 50th anniversary, 2014. Fortunately, thanks to many of us, no panel celebrated the arrival of a large library collection from Tallahassee. Photo by Jim Schnur.

These events may seem like a quaint tale of ancient history, but lessons learned in 2003 would serve Floridians well today. Floridians and researchers worldwide benefit from the State Library and Archives. Indeed, many of the images in this post came from the digitized collections of Florida Memory, an online portal managed by these institutions. 

In the early 2010s, I attended meetings at the R.A. Gray Building as part of a statewide digital initiatives task force. Sitting next to Ring, I complimented her for the great work staff under her supervision continued to do. I played the game state employees have to play. 

Ring retired in 2015, and rightfully deserves some credit for the incredible accomplishments of the State Library during her tenure. Looking back at those times, however, I also thank the countless library supporters who ensured she had a viable and vibrant library to retire from twelve years after the events of 2003.