[Lnc-business] Discussion on LP records archives

Wed Mar 15 02:06:37 EDT 2017

Bumping for additional commentary if any.

-Caryn Ann

On Sat, Mar 11, 2017 at 10:59 AM, Caryn Ann Harlos <carynannharlos at gmail.com
> wrote:

> I have only done preliminary inquiries - it looks like around $210 but I
> would need to get with Wes on exact size.
>
> Short answer- same, or hopefully less.
>
> -Caryn Ann
>
> On Sat, Mar 11, 2017 at 10:51 AM Daniel Hayes <danielehayes at icloud.com>
> wrote:
>
>> What would a storage facility cost in Colorado?
>>
>> Daniel Hayes
>> LNC At Large Member
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Mar 11, 2017, at 11:37 AM, Caryn Ann Harlos <carynannharlos at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> None yet.  We needed to get the committee together and we are budgeting
>> now.  We want to spend wisely and that requires knowing what we have and
>> not just scanning Willy Nilly.  Once reason Jackie is going to HQ on Monday
>> - we will start making spending decisions after that.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sat, Mar 11, 2017 at 10:17 AM Joshua Katz <planning4liberty at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Of the initial $5k budget, how much has been spent?
>>
>> Joshua A. Katz
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sat, Mar 11, 2017 at 11:03 AM, Caryn Ann Harlos <
>> carynannharlos at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> This is a discussion preliminary to a motion on the records of the LP
>> after extensive discussion with Wes and Wes running the thoughts by Nick
>> Sarwark
>>
>> Here is the state of things.  On the Historical Committee end, we have a
>> pretty talented group that was chosen, including the original creator of
>> the LP.org website Joe Dehn and the LPedia curator for the past ten
>> years James Gholston.  LPedia has been cleaned up (gigs and gigs of spam
>> removed) and moved to the new server.  We are kicking the tires to make
>> sure it is ready to fling back open for new account creation - this is
>> remarkable in itself, new account creation has been disabled for years
>> (five years I think).  Joe Buchman has been scanning using a professional
>> scanner - but that is slow going as it is on off hours he gets to use as a
>> volunteer, but we have some high quality scans to start.  And once LPedia
>> gets going fundraising for the initial budget will ramp up.  I have already
>> raised the first 20% but it is hard to ask for support without some
>> "product" to show.
>>
>> A problem is that is it very difficult to get started on bulk scanning as
>> we don't know what we have in Virginia, compounded by the fact that some of
>> it is in an offsite storage facility that is not organized (it is safe and
>> boxed well to preserve but no one has put in the very hard time of getting
>> those files into shape - there have been more pressing matters - the fact
>> that they are safe and stored is due to heroic efforts by Wes as far as I
>> am concerned - the legend was that much more was destroyed in the Watergate
>> flood than actually was).    None of committee members live in Virginia
>> (one lives several hours a year but is fairly new to Party involvement
>> though he has made sysadmin skills), and the guiding visionary of the whole
>> thing - me - lives in Colorado.  We can ask volunteers to start (and I have
>> one dedicated volunteer going down Monday to begin- Jackie Mason) but in
>> general that can be a spotty method as can using interns, but without a
>> very systematic organization the effectiveness of the records preservation
>> will be less than ideal.
>>
>> So with this, I would to share  some of Wes' thoughts (to which I concur)
>> which were shared with Nick for the Committee's consideration with some
>> additional thoughts of mine at the end.  These summary thoughts from Wes
>> was after an extensive phone conference with me:
>>
>> ====
>>
>> I'd like Caryn Ann and the Historical committee to have access to
>> documents. But, coordinating and managing interns, shipping items, etc., is
>> going to cause a substantial  amount of interruption here at LPHQ.
>> Piece-by-piece, and box-by-box, training one volunteer after another how to
>> ship, scan, etc. Negotiating pay-rates for interns, etc. Answering hundreds
>> of questions.  It adds up quickly.
>>
>> I'd like to send Nick Dunbar with a 20' U-Haul filled with the historical
>> documents that are in our storage unit and basement. We'll include the
>> shelves from the storage unit as well, and will shut down our storage unit.
>>
>> I'd like to deliver it all to Caryn Ann's neighborhood so she can manage
>> the project directly, rather than trying to coach an intern or handful of
>> semi-reliable volunteers from afar, with us at LPHQ having to support the
>> volunteers and interns, explain parking, arrange keys, etc.
>>
>> The 20 foot Uhaul will cost about $1700 plus $700 gas. All will easily
>> fit in that, and won't get nearly as damaged as if we shipped via carrier,
>> plus it will require less TLC preparing the stuff to ship. We'll have to
>> spend on some boxes and tape. Motels and expenses for Nick along the way
>> plus a flight home. Overall, I'd estimate a roughly $5,000 expense.
>>
>> I moved the entire contents from one storage unit to another a year ago
>> to go from a rate of approximately $400/month to $228/month. I know what
>> I'm getting into. I used movers that cost about $400 to to unload from one
>> unit, and upload to another unit in around 4 hours.
>>
>> If Caryn Ann fails to make things happen, we'll know the address of the
>> storage unit and can always go through the process of moving things back.
>> The LNC will pay for and be in control of the storage unit, just like we
>> are in control of the one here. They're about to raise our rent from
>> $228/month to $248/month and we'll just shut it down after we empty it and
>> send things to Colorado.
>>
>> I've had access to all this stuff for years, and it never reaches high
>> enough priority for LPHQ staff to deal with.  It's worth giving Caryn Ann
>> and her volunteers and committee a shot at taking the stuff, organizing it,
>> and scanning and preserving and posting it online.
>>
>> ======
>>
>> This would require approval of an additional $5000 in expenses.  I was
>> already thinking I would have to fly out to Virginia over the summer and
>> spend a weekend in that storage unit - this would save me that trip so I
>> would commit to a donation for this cause, in fact I have been considering
>> a life membership, so if this passes I would sign up for that at the
>> monthly rate to have a life membership at the end of one year and while in
>> CO, Nick can stay in our guest room.  Wes is confident he could fundraise
>> the majority of this money as well through several membership emails.
>>
>> When the LP gets the records back they will be organized and inventoried
>> to be of use for years to come.  And I will be able to make meaningful
>> recommendations to the LNC as to culling.  And if the LNC in the future
>> ever wants to make records retention decisions they will actually know what
>> they have.
>>
>> I can also get the state party here behind setting up a committee of
>> volunteers as a Historical Committee Support group to arrange organization
>> weekends in which I can spend weekends down with volunteers getting this
>> stuff into shape, and I will be able to directly supervise any bulk
>> scanning company we use.  And will be able to make sure we are not paying
>> to have 50 copies of one thing scanned because I will be able to curate the
>> items before they get sent out.
>>
>> I think also if we video-documented this, it would be an interest piece
>> for next convention.   Also, though I haven't priced this out, I think the
>> storage costs would be less in CO. The facility doesn't have to be in
>> Castle Rock, we are spread out and more towards Denver in a less pricier
>> region would be more convenient for more volunteers here.
>>
>> I am soliciting thoughts preliminary to making a motion.  I also ask Wes
>> to weigh in as he is closest to the issue.
>>
>> --
>> *In Liberty,*
>> *Caryn Ann Harlos*
>> Region 1 Representative, Libertarian National Committee (Alaska,
>> Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington) - Caryn.Ann.
>> Harlos at LP.org <Caryn.Ann.Harlos at LP.org>
>> Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado
>> <http://www.lpcolorado.org>
>> Colorado State Coordinator, Libertarian Party Radical Caucus
>> <http://www.lpradicalcaucus.org>
>> Chair, LP Historical Preservation Committee
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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-- 
*In Liberty,*
*Caryn Ann Harlos*
Region 1 Representative, Libertarian National Committee (Alaska, Arizona,
Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington) - Caryn.Ann.
Harlos at LP.org <Caryn.Ann.Harlos at LP.org>
Communications Director, Libertarian Party of Colorado
<http://www.lpcolorado.org>
Colorado State Coordinator, Libertarian Party Radical Caucus
<http://www.lpradicalcaucus.org>
Chair, LP Historical Preservation Committee

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*And oppose the use of force*
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