Research fees at Western Historical Manuscript Collection

[Gerald Cohen]

Barry,

     I'm troubled to read about the imposition of a research fee at
the WHMC in Columbia, MO--a step out of keeping with the very
helpful, inexpensive services which WHMC has offered all along. (I
consider the staff there among the finest people I have met.)

    I haven't checked into the reason for the new fees but really
don't have to.  Missouri is in the midst of a severe budgetary
crisis, and the governor has made public higher education his
favorite target for budget cuts.  WHMC must be feeling the budgetary
pressure too.

     Your research is enormously valuable. I have a little credit
built up at WHMC and shall very willingly split the "break a leg"
research costs with you.
I'll send Bill Stolz an e-mail about this right away.

Jerry


At 5:53 AM -0500 12/7/02, Bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:
>
>University of Missouri-Columbia, Western Historical Manuscript Collection,
>Peter Tamony Papers
>"Break a leg" is here.  I got the below response that the query will cost me
>$20.  Twenty dollars is twenty dollars more than I've made from etymology all
>year, but I'll pay it if anyone's interested.
>
>Subj:   Reference Request
>Date:   12/5/2002 4:05:03 PM Eastern Standard Time
>From:   <A HREF="mailto:StolzW at umsystem.edu">StolzW at umsystem.edu</A>
>To: <A HREF="mailto:Bapopik at aol.com">Bapopik at aol.com</A>
>Sent from the Internet (Details)
>
>Barry Popik
>Bapopik at aol.com
>
>Dear Mr. Popik,
>
>David Moore has forwarded your request of December 4 to the reference staff.
>Please note that effective October 1, 2002, a research fee was instituted by
>the Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Columbia. The reference staff
>will search the subject index and collection inventories free of charge, but
>a non-refundable research fee of $20 is required before we can search the
>actual collection and/or make reproductions. In the case of the Tamony
>collection the staff will search for up to three phrases or words per
>request. A check or money order, made payable to the University of Missouri,
>can be mailed to the address below. The fee also includes up to 10
>photocopies. The fees for additional photocopies are as follows:
>
>1-200 copies (per page)        $0.20
>201-500 copies (per page)    $0.35
>501-1000 copies (per page)    $0.50
>1001 and over (per page)        $1.00
>*All orders include additional charges for shipping.
>
>Once the search is complete you will be notified of all findings and any
>additional costs. As in the past, the Tamony collection can be viewed
>anytime, free of charge, by visiting our facility located in 23 Ellis Library
>on the University of Missouri-Columbia campus.
>
>Please let me know if you have any additional questions regarding the
>research fee or the Tamony collection.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>William T. Stolz
>Manuscript Specialist
>stolzw at umsystem.edu
>
>WHMC-Columbia
>23 Ellis Library
>University of Missouri
>Columbia, MO 65201