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Letter From Patricia Schroeder to Mayor Bloomberg
Regarding the Giuliani Papers
January 31, 2002
The Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor of the City of New York
City Hall
New York, NY 10007
Dear Mr. Mayor:
The U.S. book publishing industry, which includes some of New York's most notable
corporate residents, is dismayed at the news that the City has entered into an
agreement to place all of the records of former Mayor Giuliani's eight-year
administration into private hands for archiving. Notwithstanding protestations
that the records remain the property of the City, we believe that by entrusting
to private interests and to Mr. Giuliani the authority to determine which
materials may be eventually be accessed by scholars, authors, and historians and
which materials will never see the light of day by virtue of Mr. Giuliani's
"personal interest" in them, the City is abdicating its responsibility not only
to its citizens, but to history as well.
The documents, tapes and photographs that comprise the archival record of Mr.
Giuliani's administration are too important to be pre-screened and pre-judged in
secret. Starting now, and for many years to come, authors and historians will be
eager to tell the glorious story of New York. They must be allowed to search
source materials freely in order to find their own truth and in full confidence
that the record is complete.
We, therefore, respectfully urge you to nullify the contract entered into by the
Department of Records and Information Services and to restore physical possession
of the materials and the responsibility for archiving them to the Municipal
Archives, where they belong.
Sincerely,
Patricia S. Schroeder
President, Association of American Publishers
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