For those of you looking forward to seeing me get pummeled by four lawyers at this evening’s deaccessioning panel at Columbia Law School, here are my articles that I sent (as requested) for students to read in advance of the event:
For Sale: Our Permanent Collection, NY Times Op-Ed, Nov. 2, 2005
The Walton Effect: Art World is Roiled by Wal-Mart Heiress, Wall Street Journal Leisure & Arts page, Oct. 10, 2007
The Lost Museum: Why Is MoMA Selling Off Its Masterpieces? Wall Street Journal Leisure & Arts page, May 13, 2004
A Betrayal of Trust: At the New York Public Library, It’s Sell Now, Raise Money Later, Wall Street Journal Leisure & Arts page, Nov. 1, 2005
That last one is particularly timely today, given Robin Pogrebin‘s announcement in the NY Times of a $1-billion “expansion of the library system,” with a pledged $100-million lead gift from the $3-million birthday boy, Wall Street financier Stephen Schwarzman.
What worried me was Pogrebin’s report that “the costs of the $1 billion library project are to be covered through the sale of some existing buildings and a $500 million capital campaign.”
“Existing buildings”? Local branch libraries like the one in the Bronx where CultureGrrl acquired her lifelong love of reading?
The press release was silent this, so I asked Anthony Calnek, NYPL’s vice president for communications and marketing, for amplification. Calnek wrote back:
No branches will be sold other than decrepit old Mid-Manhattan Library,
since the new circulating library within the landmark building on Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street will replace it. After the project is complete, we’ll likely sell a warehouse facility on the West Side. The plan includes more than $100 million to refurbish branches in disrepair.
That’s a relief!
As for the panel: I’ll walk these soon-to-be lawyers through some case studies. As CultureGrrl readers know, 2007 provided quite a few textbook examples of how not to manage the “permanent” collection.
And I’ve even learned how to use PowerPoint for this occasion!