From: Deborah Hunt (dhunt@exploratorium.edu)
Date: Thu Dec 12 2002 - 11:39:35 PST
Message-Id: <a05111b03ba1e953a7c8b@[192.174.2.158]> Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 11:39:35 -0800 From: Deborah Hunt <dhunt@exploratorium.edu> Subject: Exploratorium Learning Studio/Library update
[I'm forwarding this on behalf of Bronwyn Bevan, Exploratorium
Director, Center for Informal Learning and Schools and Director
Program Development, Center for Teaching and Learning]
>Dear TI Friends,
>
>I wanted to give you an update on the Learning Studio.
>
>As you know from previous emails, the Exploratorium, like most
>state-funded entities, recently experienced a major budget cut from
>the state--at least $1.1 million annually (which represents about
>25% of our education budget). This money funded the Learning Studio
>in its entirety, and also supported some of our core activities such
>as the Teacher Institute, exhibit maintenance, and our educator
>resources on the web. Most importantly, these severe cuts left us
>with almost no maneuvering room. As a result, we had to reduce the
>staff of the Learning Studio from about four full-time positions to
>one. (So far, with support of other federal and private grants, we
>have been able to keep the TI budget and operations at its normal
>level.)
>
>I have spent the last several weeks working closely with Linda,
>Paul, and others to review our options, with the primary goal of
>supporting TI teachers as well as other educators from around the
>globe who make use of our resources (on-line) to support their work.
>
>Be assured that we are actively seeking new funding sources. In the
>meantime, we have come up with an interim plan that we hope will
>provide the basic services that you need. These services are
>definitely not at the level that you are accustomed to, and we
>regret that. Still, as you will see, they are tailored, to the
>extent possible, to support the TI community that you are a part of.
>Specifically:
>
>*Starting January 6, open hours for the Learning Studio will be
>Tuesday through Friday 3-5 and Saturday 10-5.
>
>*TI alumni and participants will continue to have circulation and
>inter-library loan rights.
>
>*With prior arrangement, TI alumni and participants will have
>continued access to the media production facilities (contact
>johnt@exploratorium.edu).
>
>*The Learning Studio will continue to acquire new resources to
>support TI teachers.
>
>The major changes concern open hours and the scope of activities
>that the Learning Studio can support during these difficult economic
>times. In a January newsletter from Linda, we will send you a new
>phone number that you can use to verify open hours before coming
>in--we are at a point that if somebody has a sick day, we may be
>unable to open the Learning Studio that day.
>
>I would like to invite your comments or suggestions
>(bronwynb@exploratorium.edu) and also to apologize for this
>reduction in service, but I hope you can understand that this is
>part of a generalized economic condition, and not one of a shift in
>philosophy, commitment, or mission on our part.
>
>I would also like to thank Jo Falcon, the Learning Studio librarian,
>who has taken all of these changes and cuts with great heart and an
>enduring commitment to supporting teachers and others who make use
>of the facility. The changes represent a big shift in Jo's
>work-life, and we deeply appreciate her commitment and insights as
>we go through this phase.
>
>Thank you for your continued support of the Exploratorium, and
>please feel free to contact me about anything to do with these
>shifts.
>
>Bronwyn.
>
>--
>
>
>Bronwyn Bevan
>Director, Center for Informal Learning and Schools
>Director Program Development, Center for Teaching and Learning
>
>Exploratorium, 3601 Lyon Street, SF CA 94123
>www.exploratorium.edu/cils
-- Deborah Hunt CTL Senior Information Specialist Exploratorium 3601 Lyon Street San Francisco, CA 94123 Voice: 415-353-0485 Fax: 415-561-0370 mailto:dhunt@exploratorium.edu"A woman is like a tea bag; she never knows how strong she is until she's in hot water." Eleanor Roosevelt
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