[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 36 (Tuesday, March 28, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H1437-H1441]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  COMMENDING LIBRARY OF CONGRESS FOR 200 YEARS OF OUTSTANDING SERVICE

  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 269) commending the Library of 
Congress and its staff for 200 years of outstanding service to the 
Congress and the Nation and encouraging the American public to 
participate in bicentennial activities.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 269

       Whereas the Library of Congress, America's oldest Federal 
     cultural institution, was established on April 24, 1800, and 
     in its 200 years of existence has become the largest and most 
     inclusive library in human history;
       Whereas the Library's mission is to make its resources 
     available and useful to the Congress and the American people 
     and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of 
     knowledge and creativity;
       Whereas, in furtherance of its mission, the Library has 
     amassed an unparalleled collection of 119 million items, a 
     superb staff of ``knowledge navigators'', and networks for 
     gathering the world's knowledge for the Nation's good;
       Whereas the Library, the Congress, and the Nation have 
     benefitted richly from the work of thousands of talented and 
     dedicated Library employees throughout the Library's 200-year 
     history;
       Whereas the citizens of the United States have generously 
     contributed to the Library's collections through their own 
     creativity, social and scholarly discourse, donation of 
     materials in all formats, and generous philanthropic support;
       Whereas the goal of the Library's bicentennial 
     commemoration is to inspire creativity in the centuries ahead 
     and remind Americans that all libraries are the cornerstones 
     of democracy, encouraging greater use of the Library of 
     Congress and libraries everywhere;
       Whereas this goal will be achieved through a variety of 
     national, State, and local projects, developed in 
     collaboration with Members of Congress, the staff of the 
     Library of Congress, libraries and librarians throughout the 
     Nation, and the Library's James Madison Council and other 
     philanthropic supporters;
       Whereas the centerpiece of the bicentennial celebration is 
     the Local Legacies Project, a joint effort of Congress and 
     the Library of Congress to document distinctive cultural 
     traditions and historic events representing local communities 
     throughout the country at the turn of the 21st century; and
       Whereas the bicentennial commemorative activities also 
     include symposia, exhibitions, publications, significant 
     acquisitions, the issuance of a commemorative coin and stamp, 
     and enhanced public access to the collections of the Library 
     of Congress through the National Digital Library: Now, 
     therefore, be it

[[Page H1438]]

       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That the Congress commends the Library of 
     Congress and its employees, both past and present, on 200 
     years of service to the Congress and the Nation and 
     encourages the American public to participate in activities 
     to commemorate the Library's bicentennial.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers).

                              {time}  1600

  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to speak on this resolution today. I 
hope the Chair will indulge me as I go through some of my history of 
involvement in libraries and why I believe this is a very important 
resolution.
  This story goes back many years to the time when I was a young lad in 
Minnesota. I had chronic asthma. I was unable to go to school, and did 
all my schoolwork at home. I was home schooled before people knew that 
term. And that left me with a great deal of time to read because I 
could do most of my schoolwork in 3 hours a day.
  I lived in a small town of 800 people. We had a library that 
contained probably that same number of books, about 800 books. I 
believe I read every book in that library at least once, except for 
those that the librarian kept hidden under her desk, as they did in 
those days. This led me to a great interest in reading and a great 
appreciation for libraries.
  As I grew up, I continued to value and treasure libraries and the 
resource they represent for our communities and for our country. Little 
did I know at that time that I would become involved in politics. I 
never expected to, never intended to, and yet here I am. But, on the 
way, I have served as a member of a county library board. I have served 
as a member of a city library board. I also served as a member of the 
Board of the State Library of Michigan. And now I am on the Joint 
Committee of the Library of Congress.
  My experience with all these libraries increased my appreciation of 
libraries and librarians. Tremendous resources are available in 
libraries, and I found this out as I got into the academic world first 
at Calvin College and then at the University of California at Berkeley.
  Coming from a very small town, I was just amazed at what I could find 
in a library not only in terms of books to read but also in material 
useful for research.
  I also remember the first time I used the Library of Congress. I was 
engaged in academic research on energy resources sometime after the 
energy crisis of 1973, and I studied various aspects relating to 
scientific analysis of energy resources, the use of energy, 
alternatiave sources of energy, improving efficiency of energy use, and 
so forth.
  On a trip to Washington, I spent a day at the Library of Congress 
doing research. I was just delighted with all the materials that I 
found there which were very, very useful in my research. I could easily 
have spent a couple of weeks devouring the material there and 
condensing it for use in my work.
  I was truly astounded at the resources of the Library of Congress but 
also very, very pleased at the way the employees helped me and treated 
someone from a small town in Michigan trying to do research on a major 
national issue. They were extremely helpful. They determined what I 
needed to find and they helped me find it.
  My appreciation of the Library of Congress increased even more after 
I came to the Congress and observed firsthand the services they provide 
to our country and to our Congress. It is a marvelous institution and 
is blessed with a good administration, and is blessed now and has been 
blessed for 200 years with an outstanding staff.
  It is a venerable institution that started in a small way in this 
building and then was burned out when the British came in and burned 
the Capitol and the White House some years ago. Thanks to Thomas 
Jefferson, who after the fire willingly offered his personal library of 
some 20,000 volumes to the Congress for purchase at a reasonable price, 
the Library of Congress was revived and eventually developed into what 
we have today, the largest collection of books and materials in the 
entire world.
  The Library and its employees have also advanced into the modern age 
with the addition of the Internet, which first of all helps make all 
public documents of the House of Representatives and the Senate 
available to every person in this country and indeed on this planet.
  In addition to that, they make much other information available; they 
have developed what is called the digital library. With the help of 
grants from various good citizen and corporations in this country, much 
of the material in the Library of Congress is available to 
schoolchildren everywhere.
  So the Library continues to adapt to the changing times and changing 
technology, and they are doing a marvelous job of not only providing 
that information but training the staff to enter the digital age.
  I am very appreciative of all that they have done, and I rise to 
support this resolution and urge its passage. It recognizes not only 
the history of the institution and the contributions they have made 
but, in particular, the contributions that the staff has made working 
very diligently to meet the needs of our citizens.
  I must confess to a little personal interest here as well. I have a 
daughter who became a librarian and has been the manager of a branch 
library in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and was recently promoted to become 
the head of the reference section in the main library there; she also 
has enlightened me about many of the problems of modern-day libraries, 
and she is my personal consultant on matters relating to libraries.
  So it is with great pleasure that I recognize the major role that 
libraries have played but, in particular, what the Library of Congress 
has meant to this Nation and, indeed, to all academic institutions 
worldwide and, in addition to that, recognize the staff and 
administration for the outstanding work they have done for 200 years.
  We welcome their contributions, and we admire them and congratulate 
them as they reach their bicentennial. We wish them a wonderful 
bicentennial year as they engage in many different celebrations.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to join my very distinguished colleague, the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers). I might say that he started out 
with saying that he had a long history in dealing with libraries and 
was going to go back to his childhood; and I want to tell my friend I 
was going to jump to my feet and yield him more time on the theory that 
it might take some time. He is a distinguished scholar and a 
distinguished Member of this body, and I want to join in his remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support this concurrent resolution which 
honors the Library of Congress and its extraordinary staff. As the 
oldest Federal cultural institution and the largest library in the 
world, the Library of Congress serves a unique role in American life. 
It is the keeper of our past and a teacher of our future.
  The Library archives America's cultural history through its 
collections of 119 million items, including books, films, musical 
recordings, prints, maps, and photographs.
  Make no mistake, though, the Library is not simply a collection of 
documents wasting away in a Federal warehouse. Due to an 
extraordinarily talented and dedicated staff, the Library, as the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) has pointed out, is a true 
American treasure. The employees of the Library of Congress make 
millions of items in the collection come to life as a living history of 
our Nation.
  Through its 22 reading rooms on Capitol Hill and its extensive web 
site, the Library, as I said, educates America. Whether it is a Member 
of Congress examining an issue, a school child researching a report, or 
an author writing a book, the Library of Congress will have what they 
are looking for and its staff of ``knowledge navigators'' will make 
sure they find it.
  Just last month, Mr. Speaker, I introduced my new web site at the 
James Madison Middle School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. The student 
who was

[[Page H1439]]

helping me demonstrate the site was doing a paper on the Gold Rush. 
Through my site, we linked to the Library of Congress' American Memory 
web site.
  The student searched for information on the Gold Rush and emerged 
with a treasure trove of information, letters from frontiersmen, 
pictures of the Old West, lyrics from music sung on the trail. I saw a 
light, Mr. Speaker, in that young boy's eyes as history came alive for 
him.
  This is but one small example of the power and impact of the Library 
of Congress. It is an example that is repeated daily in classrooms all 
across America. The answers that boy found, the answers the Library 
helps all of us find, do not come to us simply because we click the 
mouse or pick up a phone or visit the reading room. The answers, Mr. 
Speaker, come because of the hard work and dedication of the staff of 
the Library of Congress.
  We do not always know their names, but it is impossible not to know 
their work. They are the ones who find the books, who organize the 
materials, who research the issues, who write the summaries, and, yes, 
who update the web site. Our lives and the American people's lives are 
richer for their work.
  I am proud to join my friend, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Ehlers), in honoring them today and the Library itself. I am honored 
and privileged to support this resolution.
  The Library of Congress is among the finest institutions in our land 
and, yes, even more so than that, probably the finest library in the 
world and one of the finest institutions in the world.
  It is led by an extraordinary American, Dr. Jim Billington, my 
friend, a scholar himself, one of the intellectuals of this Nation, one 
of the experts on Russia and many other subjects. But he and the staff 
with whom he works have brought alive the information so necessary to 
succeed in our society today.
  Mr. Speaker, the Library of Congress was relevant when it was founded 
200 years ago. In the information age, I suggest to my colleagues, the 
Library is more relevant today than it has ever been. It is opening up 
the gateway to knowledge, knowledge essential not just to the young but 
to all of us if we are to succeed and to enjoy this information age in 
which we live. Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, I rise in strong support 
of this concurrent resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I do not have any requests for time, I tell the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers). I know my colleagues on the 
committee, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah) and the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Davis), join me in my comments and in the 
comments of the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) and in their 
congratulations to the Library of Congress and to its staff.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume in 
concluding.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for his 
comments about the Library. He truly recognizes the value of the 
Library of Congress and what it has done for this Nation. But one 
comment in particular rang true, that this has truly become the library 
of the world.
  When I was a youngster, it was a library of Congress. It soon became 
the library of this country. And now, through the Internet and through 
its leadership, it has truly become the library of the world. I 
personally believe it is having as much or more impact on what is 
happening in the world around us today than the Library of Alexandria 
over two millennia ago had on the known world at that time.
  It is truly a venerable institution and filled with very good people, 
good scholars, helpful scholars; and it has meant so much to this 
Congress and to this Nation. I am very pleased that the Congress will 
be joining us in honoring them for their good work. Mr. Speaker, I urge 
passage of this resolution.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I welcome the effort of our colleague from 
Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) for this legislation we are considering today 
commending the Library of Congress and its employees, both past and 
present, on 200 years of service to the Congress and the Nation and 
encouraging the American public to participate in activities to 
commemorate the Library's bicentennial.
  As my colleagues have noted, Mr. Speaker, on April 24 of the year 
1800, President John Adams signed legislation establishing the Library 
of Congress and appropriating $5,000 for this modest effort. The year 
after President Adams and the Congress established our nation's 
national library, 740 volumes and three maps purchased from a London 
bookseller comprised the initial holdings of the library.
  By 1812, the collection had grown to 3,076 books. During the War of 
1812, however, the British military occupied Washington, D.C., and 
burned the Library of Congress as well as torching a number of other 
prominent Washington buildings, including the White House and the 
Capitol.
  The nature of the institution was transformed in 1815 when Thomas 
Jefferson sold his personal library to the Library of Congress to 
reconstitute the collection. The Jeffersonian purchase was fortuitous 
because it permitted the Library to re-establish a collection, but it 
also fundamentally changed the nature of the Library of Congress. 
Before 1814, the Library was a narrow collection of books dealing with 
legal and historical topics. Jefferson's personal library was a broad 
collection which included literature on a wealth of topics and fields 
of knowledge, including literature.
  In 1815, some Members of Congress objected to books in foreign 
languages and books on spiritualism, architecture, and other topics 
that they considered to be of no interest to the Congress. But 
Jefferson argued that ``there is, in fact, no subject to which a Member 
of Congress may not have occasion to refer.'' Fortunately, Jefferson's 
conception of the Library of Congress won out, and that concept still 
guides the accessions of the Library today.
  The library today comprises almost 119 million items--18 million 
books, 12 million photographs, 5 million maps, millions of technical 
reports, music, movies, prints, manuscripts, microfilm. The collection 
includes items in 490 languages. The library collection requires some 
530 miles of bookshelves and the collection increases by 10,000 items 
each day.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to pay particular tribute to Dr. James 
Billington, the 13th and current Librarian of Congress, who has played 
such a critical role in the modern transformation of the Library. Dr. 
Billington has taken the lead in emphasizing the continuing importance 
of knowledge in the modern world, and he has undertaken a number of 
critical innovations to bring the library into line with our digital 
and Internet era.
  When he launched the bicentennial of the Library of Congress three 
years ago, Dr. Billington gave the celebration the theme ``Libraries, 
Creativity, Liberty.'' That theme is particularly appropriate, Mr. 
Speaker. Libraries are the knowledge they preserve and disseminate are 
fundamental to our nation's creativity and innovation in this age of 
rapid change. At the same time, libraries and their repository of 
knowledge are essential for the function of a democratic society. 
Knowledge available to a nation's citizens is a requirement for a free 
people and for a democratic society to function.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join in supporting this 
important resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I submit Dr. James Billington's personal reflection, 
``The Library of Congress turns 200'' which appeared in the April 2000 
issue of the magazine American History. Dr. Billington reflects his 
insight regarding the role and position of the Library of Congress in 
the United States. At the same time, he provides a personal insight as 
one of our nation's foremost historians.
       On April 24 of this year the Library of Congress--America's 
     national library and oldest federal cultural institution--
     will turn 200. The Library was founded in 1800 with the 
     primary mission of serving the research needs of the United 
     States Congress, but during the past two centuries the 
     collections have evolved into the largest repository of 
     knowledge in the world. The Library now houses more than 115 
     million books, maps, manuscripts, photographs, motion 
     pictures, and music.
       The Library's history reflects in many ways the story of 
     the passions of its builders--beginning with Thomas Jefferson 
     and James Madison. Initially the Library's holdings were no 
     bigger than some home libraries. A mere 740 volumes and three 
     maps ordered by Congress from London booksellers arrived in 
     1801 and were kept in the office of the secretary of the 
     Senate. A year later Thomas Jefferson appointed the first 
     Librarian of Congress, John J. Beckley, who also was the 
     clerk of the House of Representatives. Little did Jefferson 
     know at the time that his own library would be the seed from 
     which the present collections would grow.
       On August 14, 1814, British soldiers burned the U.S. 
     Capitol and with it the contents of the Library of Congress, 
     that by then contained more than 3,000 items. Following the 
     conflagration, Jefferson offered to sell Congress his 
     personal collection of 6,487 volumes for $23,950. Congress 
     approved the purchase, though not without some debate. 
     Several members believed Jefferson's library included books 
     unrelated to legislative work, to which he retorted: ``There 
     is, in fact, no subject to which a member of Congress may

[[Page H1440]]

     not have occasion to refer.'' That statement has guided the 
     collecting policies of the Library of Congress to this day 
     and is one of the main reasons why the institution's 
     collections have a breadth and depth unmatched by any other 
     repository.
       Disaster struck the Library again on Christmas Eve 1851 
     when a faulty chimney flue started a fire that destroyed 
     nearly two-thirds of the Jeffersonian collection. Over the 
     years, the Library has worked, with some success, to find 
     duplicates of these volumes. An aggressive campaign to 
     acquire the remaining missing tomes is currently under way in 
     conjunction with Gifts to the Nation, a bicentennial program 
     that encourages donations of rare and important materials to 
     the national collection. All books found will be featured in 
     ``Genius of Liberty,'' an exhibition about Jefferson that 
     will open in April.
       Over the years Congress has generously supported the 
     Library and the Librarians of Congress in their pursuit of 
     building this grand house of knowledge. For example, when 
     Abraham Lincoln appointed Ainsworth Rand Spofford Librarian 
     of Congress in 1864 (he served until 1897), he selected the 
     man, more than any other individual, who transformed a 
     legislative library into an institution of national 
     importance. At the time of Spofford's appointment, the 
     Library's collections numbered only 82,000 volumes. That 
     number was to explode to roughly 900,000 by Spofford's 
     retirement.
       In March 1865 Congress followed Spofford's recommendation 
     and changed the copyright law to require that one printed 
     copy of every copyrighted ``book, pamphlet, map, chart, 
     musical composition, print, engraving or photograph'' created 
     in the United States must be sent to the Library for its 
     use. That law is chiefly responsible for the growth of the 
     institution's collections. In 1870, President Ulysses S. 
     Grant approved an act of Congress requiring that two 
     copies of every copyrighted item be sent to the Library 
     and that all U.S. copyright activities be centered there.
       Spofford also persuaded Congress to appropriate funds for a 
     separate Library of Congress building, since space in the 
     Capitol had been exhausted. The new structure, now known as 
     the Thomas Jefferson Building, opened in 1897. Some have 
     called it the most beautiful public building in America. 
     Since then, the Library has constructed two more buildings on 
     Capitol Hill. The John Adams Building opened in 1939, and the 
     James Madison Memorial Building was completed in 1981. The 
     Madison is not only the Library's third major structure but 
     also the nation's official memorial to its fourth president, 
     the ``father'' of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. While 
     a member of the Continental Congress in 1783, Madison was 
     also the first person to sponsor the idea of a library for 
     Congress, and he was president when Jefferson's personal 
     library became the foundation of the renewed Library of 
     Congress.
       Since 1987 I have served as the 13th Librarian of Congress. 
     The position has given me unique access to this vast treasure 
     house, and I have found some items in the collections that 
     stand out for me personally. As a student of Russian history 
     and culture I am intensely interested in the Prokudin-Gorskii 
     Collection of Imperial Russia. Sergei Prokudin-Gorskii was 
     one of the first Russians to experiment with color 
     photography. At the outset of the revolution in 1917, the 
     photographer escaped to Paris with 1,900 glass-plate 
     negatives, providing a remarkable look at Russia from 1909-
     1911.
       Other items of personal interest include the Presidential 
     Papers Collection, which features documents from 23 U.S. 
     presidents, beginning with the Founding Fathers and 
     continuing through to the twentieth century's Calvin 
     Coolidge. The documents constitute the foremost source for 
     the study of American leaders and provide a personal view of 
     history that no textbook can offer.
       In 1996, the Library acquired the Marian Carson Collection 
     of Americana, believed to be the most extensive existing 
     private assemblage of rare materials relating to the nation's 
     history. The Carson family of Philadelphia had collected such 
     precious materials as an extremely rare broadside printing 
     (only one other copy is known to exist) of the Declaration of 
     Independence, believed to have been printed circa July 10-20, 
     1776; an 1839 photographic self-portrait of Robert Cornelius, 
     the earliest extant U.S. portrait photograph known; and a 
     chalk-drawing of George Washington, made within a year of his 
     death in 1799. These and the many other items in the 
     collections have reinforced the Library's preeminence as a 
     source of materials relating to American history.
       Established by an act of Congress in 1976, the American 
     Folklife Center holds the largest archives of the nation's 
     distinctive cultures. The center's collections will increase 
     significantly with Local Legacies project, which is providing 
     a snapshot of American creativity at the turn of the century. 
     Local Legacies is the premiere project of the Library's 
     bicentennial effort and is jointly sponsored by Congress.
       Among the many resources of the Library's Rare Book and 
     Special Collections Division, the Lessing J. Rosenwald 
     Collection of illustrated books from the fifteenth through 
     twentieth centuries stands out. It features an amazing number 
     of books of great rarity. Two of this collection's many 
     treasures include the magnificent fifteenth-century 
     manuscript known as the Giant Bible of Mainz, kept on 
     permanent display in the Library's Great Hall, and one of 
     only two known copies of the 1495 edition of Epistolae et 
     Evangelia, sometimes called the finest illustrated book of 
     the fifteenth century.
       During the 1990s, the Library moved into the digital age, 
     with its award-winning and widely popular web site 
     (www.loc.gov), which now handles more than 80 million 
     ``hits'' per month. In April internet users will find 
     information on five million items relating to American 
     history that the Library is making available on the site as 
     its Gift to the Nation. This technology makes the collections 
     at the Library of Congress accessible to people from across 
     the country who are unable to make the trip to Washington, 
     D.C. ``America's library'' has truly become the nation's 
     library.

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, on April 24, 2000, the Library of Congress 
will celebrate its bicentennial. With House Concurrent Resolution 269, 
we commend the Library and its staff for two hundred years of service 
to the Congress and to the American people, and encourage all Americans 
to participate in the Library's bicentennial activities.
  On April 24, 1800, President John Adams approved legislation 
appropriating funds for purchasing ``such books as may be necessary for 
use of the Congress.'' The first collection of 740 books and 3 maps 
arrived in 1801 and was stored in the U.S. Capitol, the Library's first 
home. On January 26, 1802, President Jefferson approved the first law 
which defined the role and functions of this new institution, creating 
the post of Librarian of Congress and creating the Joint Committee on 
the Library to oversee the Library's activities.
  Since then, the Library's collections have grown to some 119 million 
items, making it the largest library in the world. The Library's 
collections now consist of over 18 million books, 53 million 
manuscripts, 12 million photographs, 4.5 million maps, 2.4 million 
sound recordings, nearly a million moving images and millions of other 
items.
  Mr. Speaker, on April 24, 2000, the Library will begin a yearlong 
program of bicentennial activities, which will be a national 
celebration of all libraries and the important role they play in our 
society. The centerpiece of this effort is a project called Local 
Legacies, which created an opportunity for citizens to participate in 
the Library of Congress Bicentennial celebration.
  Senators and Representatives, working with their constituents and 
local libraries and cultural institutions, have selected at least one 
significant cultural event or tradition that has been important to 
their district or state. These events have been documented and 
forwarded to the Library to be added to the American Folklife Center's 
archives to provide a cross section of the grassroots creativity of 
America that will be preserved and shared with future generations.
  Members will be able to provide links on their webpages to the Local 
Legacies projects they have chosen and to the main Local Legacies 
Project page on the Library of Congress' website. Materials selected 
for Internet access will encompass the widest possible range of 
contributions, including video, sound, print, manuscript, and 
electronic formats.
  Several months ago, I requested that the Library consider further 
enhancing public participation in the bicentennial by holding an 
exhibit of the Library's top treasures during the summer when the 
greatest number of constituents visit our Nation's capital. I am 
pleased to report that some of the most exciting items from the 
Library's enormous holdings will be on display throughout the summer at 
the Library and I would encourage all Members to direct visiting 
constituents to this once in a lifetime exhibit.
  Mr. Speaker, I once again would like to congratulate the Library of 
Congress, the Librarian of Congress, Dr. James Billington, and all of 
the Library's staff on two hundred years of outstanding service to the 
Congress and the American people.
  Mr. LARSON. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor one of our nation's 
most revered cultural treasures: the Library of Congress. This year 
marks the 200th year of the library's compilation of America's history 
and human knowledge. In this bicentennial year, I am honored to take a 
moment to extend my deep appreciation to Dr. James H. Billington, the 
Librarian of Congress. I would be remiss, Mr. Speaker, if I didn't also 
commend Dr. Billington's fine staff, especially Geraldine M. Otremba, 
Pamela J. Russell, Ralph Eubanks, Norma Baker, Peter Seligman, and Judy 
Schneider, who serve the Library so well and have been so helpful 
during my tenure in Congress. It is through their creative and 
dedicated efforts that our nation is reminded this year about the 
importance of libraries, and is encouraged to celebrate the uniqueness 
of their communities.
  The Library's historic architecture may be deceiving to some, but 
once inside its marble walls the building continues to stimulate and 
inspire all who visit. It is that inspiration, that re-connection with 
American culture, which is the focus behind one of the Library's key 
bicentennial programs, the Local Legacy Project.
  The Local Legacy Project was created to give hometown libraries, 
cultural institutions,

[[Page H1441]]

and other groups, in concert with their United States Senator or United 
States Representative, an opportunity to document the unique customs 
and cultures that make us Americans. I think of the Local Legacy 
Project as a patchwork quilt of American communities; no two are 
exactly alike, but each is a true treasure.
  I am very pleased that the First Congressional District in 
Connecticut will be participating in the Library's Local Legacy Project 
with four projects of our own: The Legacy of Our Education will feature 
six historic and influencial institutions: American School for the 
Deaf, Trinity College, University of Connecticut School of Law, 
University of Hartford, Teaching Hospitals and St. Joseph's College; 
The Legacy of Our Natural Resources includes the Riverfront Recapture--
Connecticut River and Elizabeth Park Rose Garden; The Legacy of Our 
Proud Heritage includes the First Congressional District Foot Guard, 
Old State House, Mark Twain House, Harriet Beecher Stowe House, Noah 
Webster House, Oliver Ellsworth Homestead, Cheney Homestead, Warehouse 
Point Fife and Drum Corps, and the Eighth Connecticut Regiment Fife and 
Drum Corps; and The Legacy of the Creative Spirit includes the 
following organizations: Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford Stage, Bushnell 
Memorial Hospital, Hartford Symphony, and Real Art Ways.
  I am optimistic that our ``creative spirit'' will not be limited to 
our Legacy projects alone. One of the Library's other bicentennial 
programs includes the exhibition of its unparalleled collection of 
Thomas Jefferson materials, documents, books, drawings, and prints. I 
am hopeful that a collection of his works may make their way to 
Hartford, Connecticut, our state's capital, to be displayed.
  While much is taking place in communities across America to preserve 
our culture, I am pleased to have played a role in the preservation of 
our legislative culture here in the House of Representatives. As a 
former high school history teacher, I was heartened by the support I 
received from Dr. Billington and his staff last year as I worked to 
obtain passage of my History of the House Awareness and Preservation 
Act. This bill authorizes the Library of Congress to commission eminent 
historians to assemble a written history of the House. Presently, the 
Library is beginning the process by gathering the names of eminent 
historians.
  The largest rare book collection in North American, the largest and 
most diverse collections of scientific and technical information in the 
world, and the most comprehensive collection of American music in the 
world, are just a fraction of the unique documents housed in the 
Library. I addition, the Library receives 22,000 items each day. How 
could Thomas Jefferson ever imagine that his personal library of 6,487 
books would one day grow to be such a tremendous source of knowledge.
  The Library of Congress: an institution that has touched the world, 
and an institution that has touched history. Congratulations on your 
bicentennial, and may you continue to make America proud.
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Petri). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 
269.
  The question was taken.
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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