I am forwarding an answer from Charles Faulhaber, Director of the Bancroft Library, to Will Bagley's letter of 21 July about funding for the Bancroft collections. I hope it will clarify any misapprehensions about how Bancroft money could have been "better spent." Harriet Smith Associate Editor Mark Twain Project > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > Date: Mon, 21 Jul 1997 15:42:43 -0700 (PDT) > From: Charles Faulhaber <[log in to unmask]> To: Robert Hirst <[log in to unmask]> > Subject: Re: Mark Twain Project Funding Crisis > > As director of Bancroft, I don't want to be put in the position of > deciding whether one of our collections is more important than another > (and which kid would you like to sacrifice today, Mrs. Smith?). > > I would like to point out that it's not an either-or proposition. If > there had been no Mark Twain Project at Berkeley, it is _highly_ > unlikely that we would have been able to generate the same amount of > external support for processing other collections, worthy though they are. > > The simple fact is that Mark Twain, for good and sufficient reasons, > commands a degree of interest and support across such a broad range of > audiences that simply does not exist for other resources. So the choice > is not Mark Twain or an equivalent amount of support for other > collections; but rather, Mark Twain or a substantially lesser amount of > support for other collections. > > Charles Faulhaber Director The Bancroft Library > > > > > Date: Mon, 21 Jul 1997 10:42:46 -0600 (MDT) > > From: wlbagley <[log in to unmask]> > > > > The funding crisis for the Bancroft's Mark Twain Project is indeed sad, > > but there's a certain irony, too. The Twain project has been the focus of > > research (and spending) at the Bancroft for years, at the cost of the > > library's many other collections associated with other, less glamourous > > figures. Could the money have been better spent working with the vast > > Mexican archive collection H. H. Bancroft acquired or developing the early > > California records that have languished in the monetary rain shadow of > > America's most popular humorist? The real tragedy is that public funding > > for simply maintaining historical records was never great and now is in > > danger of vanishing altogether. > > > > I came within an ace of becoming a Twain scholar myself, but I think the > > money could have been better spent preserving and developing the records > > of ordinary, unheralded early Californians than producing the umpteenth > > edition of _Connecticut Yankee_ or, God forbid, _Joan of Arc_, however > > erudite. Also, my information on this situation is largely by > > word-of-mouth, and I'd like anyone who knows better to set me straight. > > > > Will Bagley > > > > > Charles Faulhaber The Bancroft Library UC Berkeley, CA