LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Volume 17, No. 20 A Weekly Newspaper for the Library Staff May 19, 2006 Public Vote Gives loc.gov Ismail Serageldin, left, director of Webby Award Egypt’s Biblio- theca Alexandrina, and James H. Bil- By GUY LAMOLINARA lington, Librarian of Congress, sign he Library of Congress Web site at a World Digital www.loc.gov has won the presti- Library agreement gious People’s Voice Webby Award on May 11 at the T Library. from the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. The Webby Awards were established in 1996 and are one of the industry’s leading awards. The site won the award in the Cul- Michaela McNichol tural Institutions category. The acad- emy nominates five candidates, and the LC, Alexandria Library Become public votes on one for the People’s Voice Award. The academy evaluates hundreds Partners in World Digital Library of award entries on six criteria: content, tion of the digital age, and above all, a structure and navigation, visual design, By GAIL FINEBERG center for learning, tolerance, dialogue and functionality, interactivity and overall understanding.” This world view seems experience. he Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a consistent with that expressed by Billing- “The Library has been a leader in modern library that was conceived ton in his speeches and writings about his the delivery of high-quality intellectual T in 1974 and built in Alexandria, vision for a World Digital Library. content on the Web since it began its Egypt, beside the Mediterranean with The Librarian introduced his con- National Digital Library Program,” said the idea of reviving the legacy of the cept for a World Digital Library in a June Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. Ancient Library of Alexandria, has 2005 speech before the U.S. National “This award reflects the extraordinary become a founding partner with the Commission for UNESCO at Georgetown effort of staff throughout the Library in Library of Congress in creating a World University. He argued that the coopera- making our Web site an unparalleled Digital Library. tive building of a World Digital Library resource for learning about the history On May 11, Ismail Serageldin, direc- “would hold out the promise of bring- and culture of the nation.” tor of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, ing people closer together precisely by The Library’s Web site, which is one and James H. Billington, Librarian of celebrating the depth and uniqueness of the federal government’s most popular, Congress, signed a memorandum of of different cultures in a single global has been winning awards since it was first understanding by which the Bibliotheca undertaking.” launched in 1994 with the goal of plac- Alexandrina agrees to play a part in the Billington briefed the commission ing 5 million items from the collections planning for a World Digital Library and on two of the Library’s successful digital of the Library and those of its partners to contribute some of its own collections projects, American Memory and Global online. Today, more than 22 million digi- to the project. Gateway. Over the past 12 years, Ameri- tal objects are available in 186 terabytes The signing took place in the Librari- can Memory has assembled digitized of content. The site recently received a an’s office in the Madison Building. primary source material from the Library’s major upgrade to its main home page According to the Bibliotheca Alexand- own collections and research institu- and subpages, resulting in better naviga- rina’s Web site, the new library aspires to tions throughout the nation into a single, tion, easier access to content and a more be “the world’s window on Egypt, Egypt’s consolidated Web site that has grown to WEBBY, Continues on page 8 window on the world, a leading institu- EGYPT, Continues on page 8 2 THE GAZETTE MAY 19, 2006 NOTICES The Gazette A weekly newspaper for the Library of Congress staff Diversity Action Plan GAIL FINEBERG The Library will brief managers and staff on a new policy to encourage and Editor foster diversity in the workplace at the following session. MICHAELA McNICHOL Visual Information Specialist Town Hall Meetings for All Employees: Contributing Editors: Erin Allen, Calendar; Carlin “René” “Workplace Diversity: A Strategic Advantage for All,” Sayles, Moving On and Length of Service; Runako Balondemu, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Monday, May 22, Donated Leave Contributing Photographers: Francisco Apodaca, Erin Allen, in the Coolidge Auditorium, Jefferson Building. T.J. Jeffers, Michaela McNichol, Charlynn Spencer Pyne Proofreader: George Thuronyi PETER BRAESTRUP JAMES W. McCLUNG Health Services Events Founder Founding Publisher Mac Users of the Library Unite! (1990 – 1997) (1990 – 1994) Library of Congress Macintosh Users 8 to 11 a.m., May 23 and 24 The Gazette encourages LC staff to submit articles or photographs Group meeting will be held from Laboratory screening done by A&G of general interest. Submissions will be edited to convey the most 2-3 p.m. on Tuesday, May 23, Laboratories necessary information. in the National Digital Library Look for special announcement for Deadline for submission is 5 p.m. Wednesday, one week prior to publication date. Please submit text in digital form and if pos- Learning Center. listing of tests offered, prices and special instructions silble include hard copy with your submission. • Update on the Library-wide Health Services Office, LM G-40 An official publication of the Library of Congress, The Gazette is largely staffed by Library employees who have volunteered workstation management project Noon to 2 p.m., Thursday, May 25 for part-time details. Persons interested in serving a detail as a • Intro to new Assisted Technology page editor, writer, proofreader, photographer, reporter, or artist “Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts, Living Wills” may submit applications to the editor, LM 105, mail code 1620. Demonstration Center (ATDC) Those persons interested in contributing to The Gazette as part of featuring Mac equipment Alan Swendiman, attorney at law a Library-wide network should first check with their supervisors. • Special guest Neal Emerald, Mumford Room, LM 649 Back issues of The Gazette are available in the Public Affairs Office, LM 105, and issues dating from 2000 through the current issue are a systems engineer with Apple, available online at www.loc.gov/staf/gazette. will talk about Apple’s latest and greatest Library of Congress • Q&A, discussion Little Scholars Child Development Washington, DC 20540-1620 Center (the official center for the Editor 707-9194, gfi[email protected] Library of Congress) will accept tuition Production 707-0970, [email protected] assistance applications from LC ISSN 1049-8184 Recycling Helps Library Childcare employees until June 16. Center: for more information, e-mail to Contact Ilene Lewis, director, for an application. [email protected]. For further information 202-547-5222. Printed on paper that contains recycled paper by the Printing Management Section, Office Systems Services Gazette Welcomes Letters from Staff 2006 Asian Pacific American Heritage Month The staff is invited to use the Forum pages for lively and thoughtful debate relevant to Library issues. However, just as other newspaper editors exercise discretion over which Calendar of Events letters to publish and how to edit them, so do we. In decid- ing whether or how much to publish, we consider content “Celebrating Decades of Pride, Partnerships and Progress” (including misstatements of fact, libel, innuendo, ridicule of individuals or the institution, personal attacks, and redun- May 31: A multicultural program that includes a Hula Auwana performance, a dancy) and length (the limit is 600 words). fan-and-drum dance, and a Koto musical performance. Letters must be signed by the author, whose place of work and telephone extension should be included so we can verify 12:30 p.m., Mumford Room, LM-649, James Madison Building. authorship. Letter writers should understand that when Sponsored by the Office of Workforce Diversity, the 2006 Asian Pacific American Heritage Month they sign their letters and release them to us for publication Planning Committee and the LC Asian American Association. they are relinquishing privacy. If a letter calls for manage- ment response, for example, an explanation of a policy or actions or clarification of fact, we will ask for management response.—Ed. Emergency Preparedness Classes Deadline and Calendar Course Date Time Room Submission Information Emergency Preparedness May 23 1 - 2 p.m. LA-G42 Deadline for copy for June 2 issue is Wednesday, May 24. Website Training To promote events through the Library’s online calendar and the Gazette Calendar, email event Basic Evacuation May 23 2 - 3 p.m. LM-654 E and contact information to [email protected]. Team Training Evacuation Chair May 31 1 - 2 p.m. LM-654 E Gazette at a glance . Obits 3,10 OIG Hot Lines Reports of offenses against the Library may be made in confidence to Deaf Month 9 the Office of the Inspector General, 7-6306, by fax at 7-6032, or by sending an e-mail to Calendar 12 OIG Hotline, [email protected]. www.loc.gov/staff/gazette MAY 19, 2006 THE GAZETTE 3 Abu Ghraib Investigator Speaks at LC American citizen. I am an Army brat, By AUDREY FISCHER a son of a retired U.S. Army sergeant. I hat the son a World War II prisoner come from a family with a long history of war would grow up to expose of service to our nation that willingly T the abuse of Iraqi detainees at Abu followed a tradition of military service Ghraib Prison is a truth that’s stranger since the Spanish American War. I pride than fiction. myself on learning English as my second Maj. Gen. Antonio M.