DOCSLIB.ORG

The Library of Congress. Part 2. the Librarian

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Library of Congress. Part 2. the Librarian The Library of Congress. Part 2. The Librarfmt Number 10 March 5, 1979 I met Daniel J. Boorstin for the staff of the Library of Congress (LC) first time when we both par- shortly after he took Office as the ticipated in a conference on quality 12th Librarian of Congress: based information systems, spon- sored by the Rockefeller Founda- We have lived through a tion. 1We had our first conversation technological revolution more in- during a walk to and from the timate and more pervasive than any before... .Photography, mo- Union Church in Pocantico Hills, tion pictures, and sound produc- New York. The conference group tion have been newly elaborated. walked there from the Rockefeller Television has entered our living Archive Center to see the church’s rooms and incited new uses for stained-glass windows created by the radio, newspapers, and Marc Chagall. magazines. Novel forms of book There are rare and special occa- production and reproduction— sions in life when you establish an microform, xerography, and immediate rapport with a colleague near-print-have multiplied. The or friend. This was one of those oc- disintegration of paper, once only casions. Before that time, Boorstin a threat, has become an im- mediate menace. The computer had been a name I had seen in has suddenly revealed a whole library journals. new science and technology for Shortly after this first encounter I storing and retrieving informa- read Boorstin’s new book, The tion . ... No part of the L]brary of Republic of Technology. I was Congress has been untouched by deeply impressed by this work. Co- these transformations ... incidentally, I had just read a book The Library of Congress has by actress Liv Ullmann called been given a vast range of new statutory responsibilities. Our di- Changing. 2 This too is a main theme rect services to the Congress... of Boorstin’s book. It was hearten- have been enlarged, made more ing to find a leader of an institution subtle and more complex by the as old and stable as the Library of Legislative Reorganization Act of Congress who recognizes the need 1946, and by the Act of for and the inevitability of change.3 1970... .Our legal mandate to And so it is not surprising that he serve the blind and physically made the following remarks to the handicapped has been widened. 62 Our obligations under the copyright law.. are enormously enlarged. Our Congressionally authorized assistance to the na- tion’s libraries and to the world of scholarship and of science has been extended, increased, and modernized. Plainly the time has come for a review. The arrival of a new Librarian and the near comple- tion of the Madiion Building make such a study especially ap- propriate now. ~ With these words Daniel Boorstin set the tone of his administration. It is one of openness and willingness Daniel J. Boorstin: Librarian of to revitalize and redirect a Library Congress otherwise headed towards burial under its own treasures. For a brief time, he served as a Born in Atlanta in 1914, Daniel J. lawyer with the Lend-Lease Ad- Boorstin grew up in Tulsa, Oklaho- ministration. However, settling on a ma. A 1934 graduate of Harvard career in history, he accepted a College, Dan became a Rhodes position as assistant professor at Scholar from Oklahoma, traveling Swarthmore College in 1942. In to England to study at Oxford’s 1944, he moved on to the University Balliol College. In 1936, he was of Chicago where he spent the next awarded a B.A. in Jurisprudence 25 years. During this time he wrote from Oxford and a year later, a his award winning books The Bachelor of Civil Laws. At age 23 Amen”cans: The CoIoniaI Ex- he passed the English bar examina- perience (Bancroft Prize) and The tion becoming a Barrister-at-Law, Amen”cans: The National Ex- one of the few Americans qualified perience (Parkman Prize). These to practice before the Queen’s were the first two parts of a trilogy courts.5 to be completed later. By the time When Dan returned to the he left the University in 1969, he United States, he studied American had reached the rank of Sterling law as a Stirling Fellow at Yale Morton Distinguished Service Pro- University Law School. After fessor of American History. 5 receiving his doctor of juridical Boorstin left Chicago to accept a science degree in 1942, he moved great challenge as Director of the on to Harvard where he taught National Museum of History and history and literature and, in the Technology of the Smithsonian In- law school, legal history. He was stitution. During his four years as admitted to the Massachusetts bar director, he supervised many major in 1942.3 exhibits. b He then resigned to 63 become Senior Historian and ad- creator of problems and the means viser to the Institution on all pro- of solving them. A selected jects. While at the Smithsonian, he bibliography of Dan’s books and ar- completed his trilogy with The ticles accompanies this essay. Amen”cans: the democratic ex- One aspect of Boorstin’s genius is pem”ence. For this he won a Pulitzer his perception of the seeming con- Prize for history in 1974.7 He was tradictions in American history. In nominated for Librarian of Con- The Genius of American Po[itics gress while at his Smithsonian posi- ( 1953), he observed, “The ablest tion. defender of the Revolution—in Boorstin’s appointment faced op- fact, the greatest political theorist position from the library establish- of the American Revolution—was ment because of his lack of also the greatest theorist of British “formal” library credentials and conservatism, Edmund Burke. .. from special interest groups who Ours was one of the few conser- disapproved of his opposition to vative colonial rebellions of modern quotas for minorities in faculty hir- times.”lz ing. q He was among 74 signers of a It is significant that a person with letter to President Ford. 10 Never- a marvelous sense of history, and a theless, he was confirmed to the skeptical respect for technology, post and has proved an able leader. heads the Library of Congress at Robert Wedgeworth, who pre- this time in its history. While LC by sented the Statement of the itself cannot harness the informa- American Library Association tion explosion, it can provide the against the nomination, now stat es spiritual and practical leadership that Boorstin seems to understand necessary for the task. the library community’s concerns. By the time Boorstin came to the In a telephone interview, he in- Library of Congress it was the dicated that Boorstin has demon- largest library in the world, Its strated this understanding by “in- operations, however, had not been volving the library community” in closely examined since the days of his plans for and review of LC. Archibald MacLeish (1939-1944). Dan is well respected among Having determined a review was in historians. His writings have shown order, he appointed a task force to how technology has democratized conduct a study of the America. One reviewer of The organization. q Democratic Experience noted, His task force, headed by John Y. “Boorstin is concerned...with the Cole, a Library of Congress veteran growing commonality of experience with more than ten years ex- in the United States over the past perience in many phases of LC’S hundred years, a social change work, ret urned with many sugges- whose principal agent, of course, tions. Dan told the members of the has been technology.”11 His latest group to “emphasize what the book, The Republic of Technology, Library .~hou(d be without worrying views technology both as the about budgetary restraint s.” 10They 64 did so. The resulting document puter terminals to look up catalog presented both sweeping recom- information. mendations and specific solutions. The task force noted that an One of the major problems, as organization as complex as the they saw it, was a lack of coordina- Library of Congress needs planning tion between the departments to cope with the future. They within the Library, impeding the recommended that a permanent operations of the Library as a planning office be established to whole. Many of the recommenda- guide the Library through the tions proposed that coordinating reorganization of many of its committees or liaison offices be departments and the realigning of established. Reasoning that “im- its services. They also stated that a proving service to Congress means research office was badly needed to improving service to all,” the task improve the Library’s capabilities to force proposed that a coordinator perform research into technical be appointed to better mesh the ac- matters central to its own opera- tivities of the Congressional tions. 13When I visited Dr. Boorstin Research Service with those of recently, I expressed surprise that other departments. 13 A coordina- there was no one in the institution tion office to help other libraries designated as the Director of use the resources of the Library of Research. I said the same thing to Congress was also suggested. “The Vemer Clapp about twenty-five Library must establish new, formal years ago. I believe he thought of channels of communication be- the Council of Library Resources as tween itself and other libraries and a kind of research department for encourage suggestions and criti- the Library. cism.”ls The task force report contained One of the most frustrating prob- some thirty-three recommendations lems for readers at the Library is the for change, and over a hundred length of time it takes to have books specific suggestions for implemen- delivered to them.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • THE LIBRARY of CONGRESS: a DOCUMENTARY HISTORY Guide to the Microfiche Collection
    CIS Academic Editions THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS: A DOCUMENTARY HISTORY Guide to the Microfiche Collection Edited by John Y. Cole With a Foreword by Daniel J. Boorstin The Library of Congress The Library of Congress: A Documentary History Guide to the Microfiche Collection Edited by John Y. Cole CIS Academic Editions Congressional Information Service, Inc. Bethesda, Maryland CIS Staff Editor-in-Chief, Special Collections August A. Imholtz, Jr. Staff Assistant Monette Barreiro Vice President, Manufacturing William Smith Director of Communications Richard K. Johnson Designer Alix Stock Production Coordinator Dorothy Rogers Printing Services Manager Lee Mayer Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Library of Congress The Library of Congress. "CIS academic editions." Bibliography: p. Includes indexes. 1. Library of Congress--History--Sources. 2. Libraries, National--United States--History--Sources. I. Cole, John Young, 1940- . II. Title. III. Series. Z733.U6L45 1987 027.573 87-15580 ISBN 0-88692-122-8 International Standard Book Number: 0-88692-122-8 CIS Academic Editions, Congressional Information Service, Inc. 4520 East-West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland 20814 USA ©1987 by Congressional Information Service, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America Contents FOREWORD by Daniel J. Boorstin, Librarian of Congress vii PREFACE by John Y. Cole ix INTRODUCTION: The Library of Congress and Its Multiple Missions by John Y. Cole 1 I. RESOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF THE LIBRARY Studying the Library of Congress: Resources and Research Opportunities, by John Y. Cole 17 A. Guides to Archival and Manuscript Collections 21 B. General Histories 22 C. Annual Reports 27 D. Early Book Lists and Printed Catalogs (General Collections) 43 E.
    [Show full text]
  • Bringing Thomas Jefferson's Libraries to Life
    Bringing Thomas Jefferson’s Libraries to Life by Michael Wormser, MSC Student At a dinner in 1962 honoring Noble Prize winners, President John F. Kennedy said it was “the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered together at the White House, with the possible exception when Thomas Jefferson dined alone,” noting some of our Third president’s remarkable skills and achievements and great intellect. Nowhere is that intellect better reflected than in Jefferson’s collections of books, a pursuit that dominated his adult life. The library Jefferson assembled at Monticello—-and the classification system he devised for them based on Francis Bacon’s The Advancement of Learning grouping all human ​ ​ knowledge in the three faculties of: Memory, Reason and Imagination—-reflected nothing less than “a blueprint of his mind,” in the words of historian Arthur E. Bestor. More than just a means of locating individual books in his library, Jefferson’s classification system became a detailed guide showing where his books belonged, as he viewed them, within the whole expanse of human knowledge. His books were a working library. For Jefferson, books were valued for their utility in acquiring knowledge. He was not building a great collection as a hobby. There were no subjects that lay outside Jefferson’s collecting interests, from the law, representing his profession, history, both ancient and modern, foreign relations, politics and governance, to philosophy and religion, literature, including fiction, poetry, criticism and biography, art and architecture, exploration, native Americans and their languages, American flora and fauna, geography, geology, agriculture and plant propagation, gardening and landscaping, mathematics, medicine, astronomy and other sciences including chemistry, a subject not known to Bacon.
    [Show full text]
  • Exhibition Checklist
    “unquestionably the choicest collection of books in the US”1 The 1815 Sale of Thomas Jefferson’s Library to the Nation Summary Timeline To Learn More August 24, 1814 – British destroy the United States Capitol and congressional Wilson, Douglas L. Jefferson's Books. library Charlottesville: Thomas Jefferson August 28, 1814 – Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation, 1996. receives news of the destruction September 21, 1814 – Jefferson writes to Malone, Dumas. Thomas Jefferson Samuel Harrison Smith to offer to sell his and the Library of Congress. library to Congress Washington: Library of Congress, February 3, 1815 – Jefferson receives 1977. official notice of the approval of the sale March 18 to April 18, 1815 – Jefferson Hayes, Kevin J. The Road to reviews and organizes library Monticello: The Life and Mind of May 2 to 8, 1815 – Ten wagonloads of Thomas Jefferson. New York: Oxford books leave Monticello for Washington, University Press, 2008. D.C. May 8-14, 1815 – Books arrive in Rosenstock, Barb. Thomas Jefferson Washington, D.C. and are placed on the Builds A Library. Honesdale, PA: third floor of Blodget’s Hotel which Calkins Creek, 2013. served as the temporary Capitol for Congress Thomas Jefferson’s Library. http:// July 3 - 24, 1815 – Joseph Milligan www.loc.gov/exhibits/thomas‐ unpacks book boxes and sets them up in jeffersons‐library the order stipulated by Jefferson in his manuscript catalogue Thomas Jefferson’s Libraries Project. End January 1816 – Jefferson receives the http://tjlibraries.monticello.org print catalogue of the
    [Show full text]
  • " Referred to the Librarian, with Power to Act": Herbert Putnam and The
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 459 708 IR 058 202 AUTHOR Aikin, Jane TITLE "Referred to the Librarian, with Power To Act": Herbert Putnam and the Boston Public Library. PUB DATE 2001-08-00 NOTE 9p.; In: Libraries and Librarians: Making a Difference in the Knowledge Age. Council and General Conference: . Conference Programme and Proceedings (67th, Boston, MA, August 16-25, 2001); see IR 058 199. AVAILABLE FROM For full text: http://www.ifla.org. PUB TYPE Reports Descriptive (141) -- Speeches/Meeting Papers (150) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Biographies; *Librarians; *Library Development; *Library Directors; Library Services; *Public Libraries IDENTIFIERS Boston Public Library MA ABSTRACT Herbert Putnam was Librarian of the Boston Public Library between February 1895 and April 1899, the first experienced librarian to hold that post since Charles Coffin Jewett (1855-68) .This paper reviews the circumstances surrounding his appointment and discusses his accomplishments, including expansion of the library system, services for scholars, services to the schools, the addition of new departments, and a new staff classification and promotion system. The physical problems of the library's new building and the resulting renovation are also addressed. (Contains 32 endnotes.) (Author/MES) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. 67th IFLA Council and General Conference August 16-25, 2001 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS CENTER (ERIC) BEEN GRANTED BY A Thisdocument has been reproduced as Code Number: 010-149-E received from the person or organization Division Number: VII originating it.
    [Show full text]
  • Enriching the Library Experience
    ENRICHING THE LIBRARY EXPERIENCE The FY2019-2023 Strategic Plan of the Library of Congress TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 Opening Message The Strategy 7 Framework 8 Our Mission 9 Our Vision 12 A Unified Role 13 Direction Forward 16 Being User Centered Goals and Objectives 18 Implementation and 27 Metrics 28 Library At-a-Glance 1 OPENING MESSAGE The Library of The Library’s collection and its human expertise hold untold intellectual and Congress is the inspirational value. I have seen firsthand the spark that results when someone makes a world’s largest connection with the Library: when a Member of library, with nearly Congress is moved listening to a historian bring to life a founding document of history; when 170 million items high school music students from Maryland studied the papers of Leonard Bernstein and in our collections, wrote original music inspired by what they saw; and extensive when teachers at our summer institutes have shared with me their innovative strategies for expert services and making history come alive using the Library’s collections in the classroom; when Smokey programs. What Robinson saw his very first piece of sheet does this mean music submitted to the U.S. Copyright Office. How do we extend those experiences to people for you? across the country? The Library of Congress has built the To meet this challenge, the Library is embarking largest collection of human knowledge on an exciting new journey that puts users ever assembled. It is an awe-inspiring first. By expanding access and enhancing achievement — a testament to the wisdom of services, while applying data and optimizing Congresses throughout our history, which have resources, we will build lifelong and meaningful invested national resources in the ideal of a connections with our users of today and of universal collection available to all.
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Report of the Librarian of Congress for the Fiscal Year Ending Sept. 30, 2019
    Annual Report of the Librarian of Congress For the Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 2019 Annual Report of the Librarian of Congress For the Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 2019 Library of Congress | Washington, D.C. | 2020 On the cover: With the U.S. Capitol as a backdrop, Library visitors watch “Beauty and the Beast” as part of the LOC Summer Movies on the Lawn outdoor film festival. Shawn Miller Inside front cover: A visitor enters the Main Reading Room during an open house staged as part of the American Library Association annual conference in June. Shawn Miller Library of Congress 101 Independence Avenue, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20540 For the Library of Congress online, visit loc.gov. The annual report is published through the Office of Communications, Office of the Librarian, Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20540-1610, telephone (202) 707-2905. Executive Editor: April Slayton Editor: Mark Hartsell Photo Editor: Shawn Miller Art Director: Ashley Jones Design and composition: Courtney Garvin Library of Congress Catalog Card Number ISSN 0083-1565 Key title: Annual Report of the Librarian of Congress For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP Washington, D.C. 20402-9328 ISBN 978-0-8444-9579-8 Contents 5 Letter from the Librarian 48 Organizational Reports of Congress 50 Office of the Librarian 6 Library of Congress Officers 52 Office of the 7 Library of Congress Chief Information Officer Trust Fund Board 54 Chief Operating Officer 8 Library of Congress Committees 55 Library Collections and 11 Facts at a Glance Services Group 57 Law Library 12 Serving the Congress 58 Library Services 13 Legislative Support 60 Congressional Research Service 13 Copyright Law and Policy 61 U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Statue of Liberty Teacher's Guide
    Report_Vt_4cBl 7/23/01 9:58 AM Page c1 National Park Service Please note: Imagery and text are for illustration purposes only. They are not meant to represent actual content. U.S. Department of the Interior Statue of Liberty National Monument New York Statue of Liberty Teacher’s Guide Report_Vt_4cBl 7/23/01 9:58 AM Page c2 Report_Vt_4cBl 7/23/01 9:58 AM Page 1 Statue of Liberty Teacher’s Guide Statue of Liberty National Monument Liberty Island, New York Produced by the Division of Publications National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Washington, DC Report_Vt_4cBl 7/23/01 9:58 AM Page 2 Report_Vt_4cBl 7/23/01 9:58 AM Page 3 Contents Introduction 1 Recommendations 24 Introduction 1 Previsit Information 25 The Planning Process 2 The Battle Road Unit 25 The North Bridge Unit 31 Location 32 The Planning Foundation 3 Prominent figures 32 Background 3 Coverage 32 Legislative Background 4 Frequently asked questions 32 Purpose 5 The Wayside Unit 34 Significance 5 Personal Services 35 Interpretive Themes 6 Park Library and Collections 38 Visitor Experience Goals 8 Partnerships 39 Interpretive Program Standards 11 Implementation Priorities 41 Visitor and Audience Profiles 12 Appendices 42 Existing Conditions 13 A The Planning Team 42 Existing Conditions and Visitor Experience 13 B References Cited 45 Summary 13 C Accessibility 46 Previsit Information 13 The Battle Road Unit 13 The North Bridge Unit 17 The Wayside Unit 19 Structure 32 Frequently asked questions 32 Education Programs 21 Staffing 21 Park and Library Collections 21 Issue and Influences 23 Report_Vt_4cBl 7/23/01 9:58 AM Page 4 Report_Vt_4cBl 7/23/01 9:58 AM Page 5 Rock Climbing Introduction text is labeled “Text-introduction” in the style sheets menu.
    [Show full text]
  • Reproductions Supplied by EDRS Are the Best That Can Be Made from the Original Document
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 464 635 IR 058 441 AUTHOR Lamolinara, Guy, Ed. TITLE The Library of Congress Information Bulletin, 2000. INSTITUTION Library of Congress, Washington, DC. ISSN ISSN-0041-7904 PUB DATE 2000-00-00 NOTE 480p. AVAILABLE FROM For full text: http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/. v PUB TYPE Collected Works Serials (022) JOURNAL CIT Library of Congress Information Bulletin; v59 n1-12 2000 EDRS PRICE MF01/PC20 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Electronic Libraries; *Exhibits; *Library Collections; *Library Services; *National Libraries; World Wide Web IDENTIFIERS *Library of Congress ABSTRACT These 12 issues, representing one calendar year (2000) of "The Library of Congress Information Bulletin," contain information on Library of Congress new collections and program developments, lectures and readings, financial support and materials donations, budget, honors and awards, World Wide Web sites and digital collections, new publications, exhibits, and preservation. Cover stories include:(1) "The Art of Arthur Szyk: 'Artist for Freedom' Featured in Library Exhibition";(2) "The Year in Review: 1999 Marks Start of Bicentennial Celebration"; (3) "'A Whiz of a Wiz': New Library Exhibition on 'The Wizard of Oz' Opens"; (4) "The Many Faces of Thomas Jefferson: Father of the Library Subject of New Exhibition"; (5) Library of Congress bicentennial events; (6) "Thanks for the Memory: New Bob Hope Gallery Opens at Library"; (7) "Local Legacies: American Culture Captured in Bicentennial Program"; (8) "America at Work, School and Play: Web Films Document American Culture, 1894-1915"; (9) "Herblock's History Political Cartoon Exhibition Opens Oct. 17";(10) "Aaron Copland Centennial"; and (11)"Al Hirschfeld: Beyond Broadway: Exhibition of Work by Famed Graphic Artist Open." (Contains 91 references.) MES) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Report of the Librarian of Congress. 1966
    I L.C. Card 6-6273 I The design on the couer and title page of the paperbound copies of this report and on the flyleaf and title page of the hardbound copies is from a woodblock print of the Library of Congress by Un'ichi Haratsuka, reproduced by permission of the artist. , . UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1967 For sale by the Sul)rrintentlent of Documrnts. U.S. Gorernnient Printing Oficc* Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price $2.50 (cloth) Contents Joint Committee on the Library .................................... Library of Congress Trust Fund Board ............................... Forms of Gifts or Bequests to the Library of Congress .................. Officers of the Library ............................................ Consultants of the Library ......................................... Librarian's Liaison Committees ..................................... Organization Chart ............................................... Letter of Transmittal ............................................. Introduction ..................................................... 1 The Processing Department ..................................... 2 The Legislative Reference Service ................................ 3 The Reference Department ..................................... 4 The Law Library .............................................. 5 The Administrative Department ................................. 6 The Copyright Office .......................................... - Appendixes .4 1 Library of Congress Trust Fund Board. Summary of Annual
    [Show full text]
  • Hopewell Culture Report Hz 1Cnbl B 7/31/01 2:25 PM Page 2 Report Hz 1Cnbl B 7/31/01 2:25 PM Page 3
    Report_Hz_1cNbl_B 7/31/01 2:25 PM Page c1 Please note: Imagery and text are for illustration purposes only. They are not meant to represent actual content. National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Biscayne National Park Homestead, Florida Hopewell Culture Report_Hz_1cNbl_B 7/31/01 2:25 PM Page 2 Report_Hz_1cNbl_B 7/31/01 2:25 PM Page 3 Hopewell Culture Hopewell Culture National Historical Park Chillicothe, Ohio Produced by the Division of Publications National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Washington, DC Report_Hz_1cNbl_B 7/31/01 2:25 PM Page 4 Report_Hz_1cNbl_B 7/31/01 2:25 PM Page 5 Contents Introduction 1 Recommendations 24 Conclusions Introduction 1 Previsit Information 25 Previsit Information 25 The Planning Process 2 The Battle Road Unit 25 The Battle Road Unit 25 The North Bridge Unit 31 The North Bridge Unit 31 Location 32 The Wayside Unit 34 The Planning Foundation 3 Prominent figures 32 Personal Services 35 Background 3 Coverage 32 Park Library and Collections 38 Legislative Background 4 Frequently asked questions 32 Partnerships 39 Purpose 5 The Wayside Unit 34 Implementation Priorities 41 Significance 5 Personal Services 35 Interpretive Themes 6 Park Library and Collections 38 Visitor Experience Goals 8 Partnerships 39 Appendices 42 Interpretive Program Standards 11 Implementation Priorities 41 A The Planning Team 42 Visitor and Audience Profiles 12 B References Cited 45 C Accessibility 46 Future Conditions Existing Conditions 13 Existing Visitor Experience 13 Existing Conditions and Visitor Experience
    [Show full text]
  • Statement of Carla Hayden the Librarian of Congress Before the Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch Committee on Appropriations U.S
    Statement of Carla Hayden The Librarian of Congress Before the Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch Committee on Appropriations U.S. House of Representatives Fiscal 2021 Budget Request February 27, 2020 Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Herrera Beutler, and Members of the Subcommittee: Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony in support of the Library’s fiscal 2021 budget. Now in my fourth year as Librarian of Congress, I am excited to see the progress we have made in sharing more of the Library’s extraordinary collections and our staff’s expertise and commitment to public service. Today, the Library holds more than 170 million items in all formats and 470 languages and has the world’s largest collections of legal materials, films, and sound recordings. Last year, the Library welcomed nearly 1.9 million in-person visitors. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) provided custom services to more than 99 percent of Senate and House member offices and standing committees. The U.S. Copyright Office issued more than 547,000 copyright registrations. Over 9.4 million preservation actions were performed on the physical collections; more than 21.8 million copies of braille, audio and large print items were circulated to patrons by the newly renamed National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS); and the Library responded to nearly one million reference requests from Congress, the public, and other federal agencies. The Library’s websites, including loc.gov, congress.gov, copyright.gov, and the CRS site, among others, served as conduits in supporting our strategic vision for connecting all Americans to the Library by receiving 119 million visits and 520.8 million content page views.
    [Show full text]
  • Statement of Dr. James H. Billington the Librarian of Congress Before the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch Appropriations U.S
    Statement of Dr. James H. Billington The Librarian of Congress Before the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch Appropriations U.S. House of Representatives Fiscal 2016 Budget Request February 26, 2015 Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Wasserman Schultz, and Members of the Subcommittee: Mr. Chairman, thank you for the honor and pleasure of providing testimony in support of the mission and fiscal 2016 budget request of the Library of Congress. The Congress of the United States created in 1800, and has generously supported ever since, this amazing one-of-a-kind institution. We who work with and for you at the Library of Congress are deeply grateful for the annual appropriation you entrust to us. We are in continuing awe of the enduring mission you have shaped for us through a series of historic mandates. We are, at the same time, public servants living in a time of both continuing budget constraints and a continuing revolution in how knowledge is generated, communicated, and used. I come before you today in the midst of an extraordinary year of unprecedented, purely internal, library-wide self-examination from the bottom up and top down. This collaborative process is preparing us to produce by the end of fiscal 2015 an altogether new strategic plan for fiscal years 2016-2020. It will be designed both to maximize efficiency and to minimize the cost of the Library’s already proven strengths and make the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution one of its most innovative. Congress’s library now acquires, preserves, and makes accessible free-of-charge the largest and most wide-ranging collection of humanity's recorded knowledge ever assembled anywhere in the world by any one institution.
    [Show full text]