Natchez Student Wins State Writing Award

The Armstrong Library wants to congratulate Courtney Sims, a 12^th grade student from Natchez, who has taken top honors for this year’s Letters About Literature writing contest. Judges selected Sims’s letter to Romona “Sapphire” Fulton, author of Push, as the first place winner in the Level III competition for students in grades 9 though 12 in Mississippi. Sims’s winning letter advanced for national competition, where it made it to the national semifinals.

“I never imagined how my persona would be affected by Push,” wrote the seventeen year old reader. “This novel has shown me that I am blessed to be in the position I am in.”

Approximately 59,000 young readers across the country participated in this year’s Letters About Literature competition, a reading promotion program of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, presented in partnership with Target. In Mississippi, 500 students competed across all three competition levels.

To enter, young readers write a personal letter to an author explaining how his or her work changed their view of the world or themselves. Readers can select authors from any genre—fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic. The program has three competition levels: upper elementary, middle school, and secondary. The contest theme encourages young readers to explore his or her personal response to a book then express that response in a creative, original way.

Courtney graduated from Natchez High School this year and is attending Touglaoo College, majoring in chemistry.

Mardi Gras in Natchez and Around the World

Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) or Carnival generally refers to the time between Ephiphany and Ash Wednesday, when popular practices include wearing masks and costumes, overturning social conventions, dancing, sports competitions, parades, and other celebrations before the penitential season of Lent. It is an important time in most Catholic countries and communities.

The Brazilian Carnaval is their most famous holiday and accounts for 80% of their annual beer consumption and 70% of their annual visitors. The celebration in Rio de Janeiro is the largest carnival in the world.

The Carnival of Venice is one of the oldest in Italy (12th century), and the subversive nature of the festival is reflected in the many laws created over the centuries in Italy attempting to restrict celebrations. Carnival of Viareggio is the most famous one in Italy.

Mardi Gras arrived in the United States along with the French. The settlement of Mobile AL became the first capital of the territory of Louisiane in 1702. The next year was the first celebration of Mardi Gras in the US. In 1720, Biloxi became the capital, and the Mardi Gras followed, as it did when New Orleans became the capital in 1723. Mardi Gras is celebrated all along the Gulf Coast, although most Americans associate it with New Orleans.

Elodie Pritchartt's aunt in
1909 Mardi Gras Parade

The first celebration of Mardi Gras in Natchez may have been in 1875, according to Natchez: An Illustrated History by David Sansing, Sim Callon, and Carolyn Vance Smith.

"In 1875 Natchez became the first town in Mississippi to hold a Mardi Gras celebration. Rex and his retainers arrived at the Natchez landing on a steamboat appropriately named “Royal Steamer.” In the evening following a downtown parade, the Italian Society of Natchez held a gala Mardi Gras ball."

The diary of Rev Joseph Buck Stratton has this description from 1898.

"Today was a public holiday devoted to the celebration of the rites of what is known in this region, once dominated by the French and Spaniards, as Mardi Gras. General decoration of buildings took place, processions of the Fire companies, military, trades, maskers, etc. occupied the day and the population of the town and country filled the streets. At night a beautiful torch-light procession in which the king of the Carnival presided, traversed the streets. It was composed of a number of floats on which a succession of tableaux – historical and other was displayed greatly to the delight of the spectators. The pageant was elaborate and tasteful and exceeded everything of the kind which had ever been witnessed in Natchez. A grand ball at the Institute Hall closed the exercises. It is supposed such saturnatia pay financially. It is more than doubtful of the pay morally; “in like manner did not our Fathers”.

Mimi Miller, Executive Director of Historic Natchez Foundation, is quoted in an article in County Living, where I also found the quotes above and the photo.

"A major fire broke out during the festivities in 1909 and the fire trucks had been appropriated as floats. Needless to say, the fire caused a lot more damage than it might have otherwise. The fire and the boll weevil, which first appeared in Mississippi in a Natchez area cotton field in 1907, caused the demise of Mardi Gras. When it was reborn in the early 1980s, the first krewe named itself appropriately--the Krewe of Phoenix.".

And that krewe rolls out once again in Natchez today at 5 pm through downtown. Don't miss it!

The Prince Is Coming to Natchez

Earlier I posted an article about the Prince from Natchez, and the film about him. Now the film is coming to Natchez.

Film & Conversation

Prince Among Slaves is an award winning PBS documentary about the fascinating life of Abdul Rahman, a West African prince enslaved in Natchez, Mississippi for 40 years, who through improbable circumstances won his freedom and became one of the most famous men of his day.

Sunday, June 5, 2:30 — 5:30 pm
City Auditorium
FREE and open to the public

Special guest Terry Alford, author of the book upon which the film is based, will introduce the film, describing how he came to write this story and how it became a film.

Following the film, the audience will break into small groups to talk about the film. Leading the conversation will be special guest Amad Shakur, founder of the Center for the African Diaspora, a research institute in Charlotte, North Carolina.



All attendees will receive a free DVD of the film and are invited to attend a reception with refreshments following the event to honor the guest speakers at the NAPAC Museum.

Event Partners:

• Alcorn State University
• Antioch Missionary Baptist Association
• Bluff City Post
• City of Natchez
• Copiah Lincoln Community College
• Friends of the Armstrong Library
• Historic Natchez Foundation
• Judge George Armstrong Library
• NAACP
• Natchez Association for the Preservation of Afro American Culture
• Natchez Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Natchez Historical Society
• National Endowment for the Humanities
• National Park Service
• Unity Productions Foundation

Your Library is the Face of Natchez

 One of the things I like best about being Assistant Director of the Library is welcoming visitors during Spring Pilgrimage. This year has been very active so far, and it’s great to see people so upbeat, enjoying the spectacular weather. But every year there are little stories about visitors showing their appreciation for help checking their email, advice on where to eat lunch, or directions to the next house on their tour.

People naturally gravitate to the Library as a starting point for their searches; whether it is for general area information or specific services. The Library is the heart of the community, and seasoned travelers know this better than most. Just this morning, we had a couple who had to time the printout of their boarding passes exactly or they’d miss the first seating. They stood by as the time ticked toward the magic moment when they could print out. As they left, the lady called out to us “We can always count on the library.” True story.

Sometimes visitors are participating in a scavenger hunt, looking for places and items peculiar to Natchez. Smart visitors know the best place to get information is a public library. Sometimes we have had the entire staff involved in looking for answers - and our visitors always win.

As described in our last blog post, the producers of the Prince Among Slaves have scheduled one of their events here in Natchez. And guess who they contacted first? That’s right. The Library. We are so happy to be able to provide whatever information we can to all visitors. It is just part of being the heart of the community.

The Prince from Natchez

Did you know that Natchez once had a Prince? Right around the beginning of our country, a remarkable man came to Natchez.

Abdul Rahman was trilingual, a successful military general, and the heir to Futa Jalon, the West African Empire, which was the size of Great Britain. However, during a war with another African country, he was captured and sold into slavery.

He was bought by Thomas Foster of Natchez and brought to his small, struggling plantation. Abdul Rahman told everyone that he was a Prince and his father would be happy to pay a ransom for his return. Of course, no one paid any attention, but they did start calling him Prince. He was a valuable slave and helped Foster develop the planation into a successful, profitable venture. He also married and had 9 children.

Through improbable circumstances, twenty years into his enslavement he was reunited with a marooned sailor that his father had rescued decades earlier. This event brought the first public attention to the Prince and over the next several years led him to become the most famous African in America. He regained his freedom, spoke to paid audiences across the country, dined in the White House, became a national celebrity, and eventually returned to Africa.

His story of courage and forbearance under the meanest of circumstances is a powerful drama that not only speaks directly to the African American experience, but also to the human experience. His incredible story was first told in 1977 in the book Prince Among Slaves by Terry Alford, which was republished in 2007 as a 30th Anniversary Edition. The book was made into a film by Unity Productions Foundations (UPF) and was shown on PBS in 2008. The book and the film are in our Library available for checkout.

Through a grant from the National Endowment for Humanities, UPF is sponsoring a series of events all over the country, showing the film along with lectures and discussions on the issues raised in the film. As the home of the Prince, Natchez has been chosen as one of the sites. Our event will be held on Sunday, June 5 in the City Auditorium. We are very fortunate to have the author of the book, Terry Alford, as one of our speakers. The event is free, and attendees will receive a free copy of the DVD. We'll have more details later, but put it in your calendar.

Just think. People all across America will be talking about a famous person from Natchez. Who knows what kind of interest in or visits to our City this may cause! You'd better learn the story, in case tourists ask you abut the Prince.

Christmas Tour of Homes 2010

Christmas in Natchez is becoming a very special time, with so many activities, so many events competing for our time. The Friends of the Library Annual Christmas Home Tour on Sunday, December 5, 2-5 pm is special among these community events. Not only is it an opportunity to celebrate the great homes of Natchez, but it is a chance to show your support for your Library. It is particularly meaningful this year since so many people have inquired as to how they can support the Library during our budget crunch. Well, this is one great way - participating in the Friends' largest fundraising event of the year. The homes selected are not on other tours and present a special opportunity to see real Natchez homes all decorated for the holidays. The four homes featured this year are each outstanding in their own way:

PERKINS ADAMS HOUSE
(The Stockton House)
307 North Wall Street
Home of Margaret Perkins and Rene Adams

This Greek Revival home on the corner of Wall and Jefferson Streets was once the home of  the widow Ann Stockton and may have been built by Nathaniel Carpenter, the patriarch of the Carpenter family.

CAVIN HOUSE
(formerly King's Daughter's Home)
32 Cemetery Road
Home of Renee and Kenny Cavin

This spacious home provides a magnificent view of the river from the bluffs at 32 Cemetery Road. Built in 1911, it was originally used as a home for unwed mothers. The extensive renovation was completed in 2008.

STAHLMAN CONDOMINIUM
205 North Commerce Street
Home of Cappy and Judy Stahlman

This antebellum building on Franklin Street suffered extensive damage in the storm of 1998 but has been rehabilitated into apartments, commercial space, and a luxurious condominium with an entrance on Commerce.

WILBOURN HOUSE
411 North Commerce Street
Home of Dr Linda Wilbourn

This 1880's home exhibits typical Italianate features. It has been totally renovated, including restoration of the full width gallery, and expanded. It is also this year's refreshment center.

TICKETS for this year's Friends of the Library Christmas Tour of Homes are currently on sale at the Library and Natchez Pilgrimage Tours, and may also be purchased at any of the homes on the day of the event.. Tour all four homes for only $15, or purchase two tickets for $25.

For over ten years, the Friends of the Armstrong Library have worked tirelessly to provide a unique experience for those touring these fascinating homes. We appreciate those opening their homes, the Friends members and Board, and all who purchase tickets and participate.

Hope to see you on Sunday, December 5, 2 - 5 pm!

Funding a Library

The Natchez Adams Wilkinson Library Service manages three libraries: one in Natchez, one in Centreville, and one in Woodville. We receive regular state money that helps to pay salaries and health insurance, provided we obey their rules. We also receive federal money for telephone and internet service that also comes with strings attached. Other than that, our funding comes from two sources.

• 35%: Funds we collect from fines, donations, and charges for certain services like printing, copying faxes. Public libraries are not allowed to make a profit, so we have to limit what we can charge.
• 65%: Funding from local governments: City of Natchez for the Natchez library and Wilkinson County for the Centreville and Woodville libraries.

We are an independent agency and not part of the City government, and yet it provides 65% of our funding. This leads to some strange happenings. As a little stepchild of the City government, we were required to go every year to beg for money - along with all the other nonprofits. This is no way to run a library! So one of our Library Director's top priorities was to get us on dedicated millage, as most other libraries in the state are.

A dedicated tax is when a certain tax (or a set percentage of a tax) is allocated to a specific purpose. For example, the tax you pay on gasoline is dedicated to the transportation system. Some states dedicate the proceeds of their lotteries to education. In Mississippi, it is common for counties to allocate a certain amount of millage for libraries. That was what our Director had been trying to do since she arrived.

In 2005, she was finally successful! The Library was given a dedicated millage of 2.575, which was equal to the amount that had been allocated the year before. With dedicated millage, the Library receives a certain percentage of the tax revenues. It will go up and down each year, depending on the amount of taxes collected, and the Library budgets accordingly. In lean years, we tighten our belts, but in good years, we can purchase extra equipment or books. Giving the Library a dedicated millage was a tax increase because it is above and beyond what is collected for the City, so a public hearing was held and there was no objection.

According to the City's Annual Audit, these were the amounts received in the years since the dedicated millage was passed.

• 2006: $251,236.00, $3,764.00 decrease
• 2007: $238,079.00, $16,921.00 decrease
• 2008: $263,018.00, $8,018.00 increase
• 2009: $271,936.00, $16,936.00 increase

In 2010, we were scheduled to receive another increase, because properties were reassessed and a mill was worth more. The County lowered their millage to keep taxes about the same, but the City chose not to do that, thus increasing everyones taxes. Not only that, but the City decided to decrease the Library's millage. Changes in millage and the City budget are supposed to have public hearings. There was a public hearing on the budget and millage, but the public was never told that the tax increase they supported for the Library was going to be taken away. It was not discussed at the hearing, it was not in any of the information distributed, nor was it in the newspaper. Several aldermen were not even aware that's what was done. In fact, the City never even told the Library!  Is this legal? Probably not. But there's not much the Library can do. We can't very well sue our major funding source.

We've learned something from this experience. Our Director now attends all meetings of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen, just to be sure they don't do anything to the Library and neglect to tell us - certainly not the best use of her time. Plus,when budget time comes up next time, we will be ready!

Library Brings Big Bucks to Natchez

It's true that the City taxpayors partially fund our Library. However, the Library also brings money into the City. How? Here's the story.

Our beautiful Convention Center opened very shortly after I became the Director here in 2002, When another library director called me to congratulate me on the job and offer assistance, if I should need it, I immediately mentioned the new Convention Center to her, as she was the person responsible for planning the next year’s Mississippi Library Association (MLA) conference. The 2003 conference was already planned, but the following year’s was not!

Representatives from our Convention Center attended the 2003 Conference and sold Natchez to MLA - and plans were begun for the 2004 MLA Conference to be held in Natchez.

MLA membership numbers over 500, and generally 300 or so people (members, exhibitors, speakers, etc.) attend their conferences. The conferences generally run Wednesday through Friday. In 2004, we planned an event for Tuesday evening. This meant people were in town an extra day – eating in our restaurants and sleeping in our hotels. What an economic impact!

That year we hosted an excellent, well-attended, successful conference. People love coming to Natchez!

We were able to bring MLA to Natchez again in 2008. Again, we provided an event on Tuesday evening, and conference goers had a wonderful time.

This year’s conference was held two weeks ago in Vicksburg. Next year we are committed to holding the conference in Jackson. But – guess what? MLA will be back in Natchez in 2012! We'll be here the week following Balloon Races.

Nancy McLemore, director of the Library at CoLin, and I have worked together the past two conferences to make the events the wonderful successes they have been – and plan to do so again. As we get closer to the planning stages, we may call on local businesses to provide assistance. We are looking for a new, entertaining event to hold on Tuesday evening again.

If the economic impact of one conference is about $350,000, think of the money the Armstrong Library brought to the City of Natchez in 2004 and 2008! And looking to bring again in 2012! The Library is responsible for bringing over a million dollars to Natchez!

We always enjoy showing off our City, and the work involved in bringing a conference to Natchez is rewarding -  especially when people appreciate the efforts made and everyone benefits. We hope we are able to continue bringing MLA conferences to Natchez.

It's Deja Vu All Over Again

The Mayor and Board of Aldermen voted to cut the Library funding by $55,000. After all, the Library has those trust funds they can use. The Library Director told the Board that if they did that, it would jeapordize the Library's state funding, since state law requires local jurisdictions to maintain their level of funding in order to receive state funding. Also, only the interest of trust funds can be used for operating the Library - and they do not count as part of the local funding. Sound familiar? But this news wasn't from this year - it was from 2001. However, in 2001 there was a happier ending. The Board voted to reinstate the funds.

The Mayor and Board of Aldermen voted to increase taxes and part of the increase was for a dedicated millage for the Library. Of course, people came out in droves against a tax increase, but no one seemed to object to giving the Library more money. Faced with all this pressure, the Board votes to cut the tax increase. Guess what got cut? The Library, of course. This didn't happen this year either. It happened in 2000.

The Mayor and Board of Aldermen voted to increase taxes and part of the increase was for a dedicated millage for the Library. I know I'm repeating myself, but this time (2005) it actually happened! 2.575 mills was dedicated to the Library. This did not represent an increase in funds, but it meant the Library could predict its income based on the value of a mill and didn't have to beg the Board every year to fund it out of the General Fund. In good years, it would go up, and in bad years it would go down. This was a major goal for the new Library Director when she arrived in 2002.

As we all know, the City claims it reduced the millage last year (2009) when the value of a mill happened to go up and thus taxes would increase. They certainly didn't want the Library getting more money! However, there is nary a mention of this in the newspaper. In fact, in several articles, it references the last time taxes went up was when they dedicated millage to the Library. Plus, they just happened not to inform the Library. Interesting, don't you think?

PS  While I was going through back issues of the Democrat searching for "library", I kept noticing all the positive things happening across the river. Of course, Concordia Parish Library got $875,944 in ad valorem taxes for a population of 19,060, whereas we got $255,000 for a population of 31,307 (2008 figures). What's wrong with this picture?

Concordia Parish: $45.96 per person for the library

Natchez/Adams County: $8.15 per person for the library

Summary of Changes Due to Budget Cuts

"Cutting libraries in a recession is like cutting hospitals in a plague."

Effective October 1, 2010 (the beginning of our fiscal year) the cuts imposed by the City go into effect. If you want to complain, contact the Mayor or your alderman. Click here for their names and contact information.

• Less Staff. One staff member was let go. We were short staffed to begin with, so this means you may have to wait longer to get help. Please be patient with us.
• Reduced Hours. Rather than closing on Saturday, we're opening later on Saturday and closing earlier on three days. New hours are listed here.
• Increased fees. Overdue fines for books was raised from 10¢ to 15¢ a day. Copying and printing went from 15¢ to 25¢ a page.
• Magazines Cancelled. About half our magazines will not be renewed, including American History, Antiques & Collecting, Create & Decorate, Education Digest, Essence, Familyfun, Fitness, Forbes, Jet, Kiplinger, Martha Stewart Living, Natural History, New Yorker, O: Oprah, Oxford American, People, Popular Mechanics, Prevention, Psychology Today, Real Simple, Road and Track, Saturday Evening Post, Southern Lady, Victoria, Woman's Day, Workbench/My Home My Style. If you want to help, a very nice affordable gesture would be to donate a year's subscription to one of these magazines. Email if you're interested.
• No Online Databases. Ancestry Library Edition and World Book will not be renewed. The databases provided by the State through MAGNOLIA will still be available. Heritage Quest is provided by the Friends of the Library and will still be available.
• Newspapers Cancelled. New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal will not be renewed. Fortunately, we received a grant (for one year only) to receive these online.
• No New Equipment. Our public computers are eight years old and heavily used. If any need to be replaced, there will simply be one less computer.
• No New DVDs. We were just beginning to transition from videos to DVDs. Fortunately, we just received a $3000 grant to buy new ones.
• Charge for Using Meeting Rooms. Use of our meeting rooms used to be free. Now there is a charge of $15 for half day and $25 for all day.

Library Funding

As you may be aware, the City has slashed the Library's budget. We have not finalized how we will be coping with this unforeseen tragedy, but we will let you know as soon as it is determined. This process led us to look into the history of Library funding, and we found some interesting information. This may help you to understand why what the City did to our budget was so devastating.

Is the Library a part of the City government? Not really. In Mississippi, public libraries are independent government agencies that get most of their funding from local governments. We receive funds from the City of Natchez and Wilkinson County.

Why doesn't Adams County contribute to Library funding? There are several agencies that serve both City and County residents and are funded by both. However, as you may have noticed, the City and the County don't always get along. So in 1990, they decided to divide up funding responsibilities. In this agreement, the County agreed to be responsible for funding the Airport, and the City agreed to be responsible for funding the Library.

Doesn't the State provide funding? Several years ago, the State decided to require all public libraries to be run by professional librarians. However, many local governments (especially the smaller ones) complained that they couldn't afford to do that. So the State offered assistance. First, smaller counties were merged with larger ones, which is why we also manage the Wilkinson County libraries. Secondly, the State provides a grant to reimburse the cost of personnel salaries. However, in order to qualify for the grant, the local government must agree not to lower their funding level.

What is millage? Each year the City (and other local governments) determine the amount of property taxes taxpayers will pay, and they express that amount in millage. Millage is the amount per thousand that is used to calculate property tax. It's used instead of percentages, which is the amount per hundred. So, for example, a millage of 40 is the same as 4%. If your house is worth $100,000, you would pay $4,000 in taxes, unless you have a homestead exemption. Some states use percentages, but Mississippi uses millage - maybe because it confuses voters more.

What is dedicated millage? This is when a certain amount of a tax is "dedicated" to a certain purpose. For example, a local government might increase taxes by 3 mills and dedicate that amount of money solely for the purpose of funding their library. This is done because taxpayers usually object to their taxes being raised, but they may not if they know where the money is going. It also means that the beneficiary can depend on a stable source of income without having to always fight for their money.

In future articles, we'll discuss what happened to the Library's funding, and you'll find this information helpful in understanding why we are in such a crisis.