[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 128 (Wednesday, September 17, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1820-E1821]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES ACT OF 2003

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                               speech of

                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 16, 2003

  Mr. HOLT. Speaker, as an educator and avid reader, it's always a 
special pleasure for me to visit a library or a museum. Libraries and 
museums safeguard our freedom and keep democracy healthy. They preserve 
the past and offer brighter futures to all of us, and their resources 
surely benefit every community member. That is why I was pleased to be 
an original cosponsor of H.R. 13, the Museum and Library Services Act.
  Libraries are often referred to as the ``People's University.'' It is 
a fitting name. Libraries provide all of us with free access to a 
fabulous wealth of information. In this increasingly technology-driven 
society, they speak directly to what we call the Digital Divide. A 
recent survey by the Department of Commerce found that our libraries 
are the number one point of access for those who do not have Internet 
access at home or at work. Today, 90 percent of public libraries have 
some kind of Internet connection.
  Research also shows us that Americans visit libraries 3.5 billion 
times each year; 1.6 billion items are borrowed annually from public 
libraries; and research librarians answer 7 million questions every 
week. Clearly libraries are responding not only to the daunting 
challenges of the Information Age and to the changing needs of our 
communities, but they are continuing to serve all of their traditional 
roles as well.
  Libraries are also true community centers. They create environments 
where students can do their homework, townspeople can gather, families 
can interact, seniors can learn new skills, and job seekers can find 
advice. They are forums building partnerships, linking with everyone 
from garden clubs to Head Start programs to extend their reach 
throughout our communities.
  Throughout our country, libraries serve as the catalyst for economic 
revitalization, bringing together our communities civic and social 
leaders. They provide reading material for people of all ages by 
sending books into maternity wards, setting up reading stations in 
pediatrician's offices, developing teen centers, and establishing 
mobile book carts in nursing homes and senior centers.
  At my own public library in Princeton, I can see improvements that 
are traceable to this authorization bill. The library is in the process 
of constructing a state of the art library security, inventory, and 
circulation system that will allow library users to automatically check 
in and check out books. Because of the Museum and Library Services Act, 
New Jersey residents will gain greater access to the resources 
available at their local public library.
  Similarly, our nation's museums serve as community centers that offer 
people of every age access to our nation's cultural and natural 
heritage. Museums' special role in public education fixes on their 
unique capacity to provide the public with an interactive environment 
in which to better understand our communities, our nation, and our 
world.
  From local art museums to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., 
museums are gathering places for people to meet and spend meaningful 
time with families and friends.
  The educational role of museums is at the core of their service to 
the public. People of all ages and backgrounds come to learn from the 
collections, exhibits and programs created by museums through their 
research and scholarship. Museums across the nation provide more than 
18 million instructional hours of educational programs, including 
professional development for our nation's teachers, guided field trips 
to our students, staff visits to local schools, and traveling exhibits 
in our communities. Annually, they spend more than $1 billion to share 
these activities with us.
  Museums also have forged a deeply-rooted connection to the local 
communities that have created and cherished them. Americans from all 
income and education ranges visit museums, and each visit provides a 
wealth of information about our nation's heritage and our opportunities 
for the future. Across the country, there are 2.3 million museum visits 
each, adding up to 865 million visits per year. There are more than 
15,000 museums in the United States and 90 percent of counties in 
America have at least one museum--75% of them considered to be small 
and 43% located in rural areas.
  The 12th District of New Jersey is home to the New Jersey State 
Museum in Trenton, which was recently awarded a Museum Assessment 
Grant. This grant will provide the museum with technical assistance 
that will be invaluable in fulfilling its goal to educate the public. 
The New Jersey State Museum was one of the first state museums founded 
with this educational mission, and today it is home to a large 
collection of artifacts detailing archaeological, cultural, and 
artistic history. For all residents of central New Jersey, this museum 
offers exciting opportunities to learn about local history, to explore 
the far reaches of outer space at its planetarium, and to share time 
with family members at educational workshops. This museum--and the 
numerous others in the 12th District of New Jersey--enrich the lives of 
thousands of residents each year.
  Mr. Speaker, Carl Rowan, a noted journalist, once said, ``The library 
is the temple of learning, and learning has liberated more people

[[Page E1821]]

than all the wars in history.'' With the passage of H.R. 13, the Museum 
and Library Services Act, future generations of Americans can enjoy the 
rich cultural and educational opportunities available to them through 
our nation's museums and libraries.

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