[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 52 (Wednesday, April 21, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S4220]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK

  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, this week, from April 18th to 24th, we 
are celebrating the 46th anniversary of National Library Week. As a 
strong and vigorous supporter of Federal initiatives to strengthen and 
protect libraries, I am pleased to have this opportunity to take a few 
moments to reflect on the significance of libraries to our nation.
  When the free public library came into its own in this country in the 
19th century, it was, from the beginning, a unique institution because 
of its commitment to the free and open exchange of ideas embodied in 
the Constitution itself. Libraries have always been an integral part of 
all that our country stands for: freedom of information, an educated 
citizenry, and an open and enlightened society. They are the only 
public agencies in which the services rendered are intended for, and 
available to, every segment of our society.
  It has been my longstanding view that libraries play an indispensable 
role in our communities. From modest beginnings in the mid-19th 
century, today's libraries provide well-stocked reference centers and 
wide-ranging loan services based on a system of branches, often further 
supplemented by traveling libraries or on-line libraries serving 
outlying districts. Libraries promote the reading of books among 
adults, adolescents, and children and provide the access and resources 
to allow citizens to obtain reliable information on a vast array of 
topics.
  Libraries have gained even further significance in this age of rapid 
technological advancement because they are called upon to provide not 
only books and periodicals, but many other valuable resources as well. 
In today's society, libraries provide computer services, Internet 
access, audio-visual materials, facilities for community lectures and 
performances, DVDs, CD-Roms, tapes, and works of art for exhibit and 
loan to the public. In addition, special facilities libraries provide 
services for older Americans, people with disabilities, and 
hospitalized citizens.
  Of course, libraries are not merely passive repositories of 
materials. They are engines of learning--the place where a spark is 
often struck for disadvantaged citizens who for whatever reason have 
not had exposure to the vast stores of knowledge available. I have the 
greatest respect for those individuals who are members of the library 
community and work so hard to ensure that our citizens and communities 
continue to enjoy the tremendous rewards available through our library 
system.
  My own State of Maryland has 24 public library systems providing a 
full range of library services to all Maryland citizens and a long 
tradition of open and unrestricted sharing of resources. This policy 
has been enhanced by the State Library Network, which provides 
interlibrary loans to the State public, academic, special libraries, 
and school library media centers. The Network receives strong support 
from the State Library Resource Center at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, 
the Regional Library Resource Centers in our Western, Southern, and 
Eastern Shore counties, and a Statewide database of periodicals from 
over 100 libraries.
  The State Library Resource Center alone gives Marylanders free access 
to approximately 2 million books, over 1 million U.S. Government 
documents, 600,000 magazines, newspapers and books in microform, 11,000 
periodicals, 90,000 maps, 20,000 Maryland State documents, and 19,000 
videos and films.
  The result of this unique joint State-County resource sharing is an 
extraordinary level of library services available to the citizens of 
Maryland. Marylanders have responded to this outstanding service with 
almost 58 percent of the State's population registered as library 
patrons. Additionally, the total holdings of catalogued and 
uncatalogued book volumes, video and audio recordings, periodicals, 
electronic formats, and serial volumes have increased by 1.2 million 
from 1998 to 2002 to total almost 16.8 million library holdings.
  I have had a close working relationship with members of the Maryland 
Library Association and others involved in the library community 
throughout the State, and I am very pleased to join with them and 
citizens throughout the Nation in this week's celebration of ``National 
Library Week.'' I look forward to a continued close association with 
those who enable libraries to make their unique and vital services 
available to all Americans.

                          ____________________