[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 65 (Tuesday, May 23, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4291-S4292]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  BICENTENNIAL OF LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

 Mr. MOYNIHAN. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the Library 
of Congress on the occasion of its Bicentennial. Since April 24, 1800, 
when President John Adams created the Library, it has stood as the 
foremost research library in the world. But more importantly it has 
been a symbol of the public's freedom of access to information, an idea 
which is the bedrock of our Republic.
  The history of the Library of Congress is filled with some rather 
compelling stories. The early days of the Library were turbulent, to 
say the least. In 1813, in what may not have been our nation's proudest 
moment, American troops burned the Parliament House and the Library of 
Canada in present day Toronto. Seeking revenge, a year later British 
troops stormed into Washington, burned the White House and the Capitol, 
including the original Library of Congress. Recognizing that this 
national treasure must be restored, the then retired Thomas Jefferson 
offered his personal library at Monticello as a replacement.
  Today the Library is the most comprehensive library in the country, 
and

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is almost completely open to the public. It is more than just Congress' 
library, it is the nation's source of knowledge.
  This year we have been marking the Library's 200th anniversary. It 
comes as no surprise that the centerpiece of this year's Bicentennial 
celebration is the Local Legacies Project, a volunteer project that 
celebrates America's history, culture, and folklore. With this exhibit 
the Library will showcase important events, places, and people from 
around the nation--things that help define who we are as Americans and 
what this country is all about.
  I am proud that five projects from across New York State which I 
designated have been included as part of the Local Legacies Project. 
They are the Little Falls Canal Celebration, Winter Olympics at Lake 
Placid (Olympic Regional Development Authority), Summer at Jones Beach 
(New York State Parks), ``Immigrant Life in New York'' (Lower East Side 
Tenement Museum), and the Allentown Arts Festival. I believe that these 
events, along with those other projects nominated by my colleagues from 
the New York Congressional Delegation, represent the diversity and rich 
history that is New York State.
  The Lower East Side Tenement museum shows how New York City's large 
and diverse immigrant culture lived upon beginning their new lives in 
America. Jones Beach represents the many recreation opportunities our 
state offers and how families spend time together. The Little Falls 
Canal Celebration is about the history of our State's industrial 
development and the pride a local community has taken in that history. 
Were it not for the Erie Canal, New York would not be the Empire State. 
Lake Placid, home of two Winter Olympics is about New York's rich 
sports history. It also is a showcase for the beauty and majesty of the 
Adirondack Mountains. Finally, the Allentown Arts Festival is about our 
commitment to the arts, something which can be seen across the State 
but especially in Allentown.
  It was one of the great and inspired choices of our predecessors in 
the Congress to purchase Thomas Jefferson's personal library, and 
thereafter establish the Library of Congress. As New Yorkers, with our 
Public Library, we truly understand the eminence of the Library of 
Congress. It is the largest research library in this country, and 
indeed the world. The Local Legacies Project is a fitting way to 
celebrate this great treasure. The Library is about preserving and 
disseminating knowledge about many things, but especially about this 
great nation. The Local Legacies project is about commemorating and 
showcasing that knowledge.

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