PANEL TAPS SMITHSONIAN VET

An ad hoc committee wrestling with governance questions at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum has retained the former director of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History to help sort out the dicey question of who, exactly, is in charge – or, at least, who should be in charge – of Springfi eld’s biggest tourist and scholarly draw. Brent D. Glass, who retired as director of the Smithsonian in 2011, has been in Illinois this week, talking to folks affi liated with the ALPLM in what appears to be a fact-fi nding exercise. His marching orders and exactly whom he is meeting with are somewhat of a mystery. An interview request was answered by an email from Chris Wills, spokesman for the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency that now runs the ALPLM. Wills passed along a written statement from the ad hoc committee’s co-chairs, Donna Sack, who is executive director of the Association of Midwest Museums, and Bernard Reilly, who is president of the Center for Research Libraries. The statement shed no light on Glass’s mission or plans. Rather, Sack and Reilly said that they’re super busy putting together a report for the legislature that they want to fi nish by Jan. 15, and they need to concentrate on their work. “Because of this, members of the panel are not able to respond to questions and inquiries from the media and/or from individuals about the panel’s work,” the co-chairs wrote. Hope they at least had time to vote this week.