[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 116 (Friday, July 29, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5065-S5066]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            MORNING BUSINESS

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                        BROWN UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

  Mr. REED. Mr. President, I believe libraries are critical 
institutions to our Nation and our democracy. Today, I recognize one 
library in particular, Brown University Library, for its 150th 
anniversary as Rhode Island's oldest Federal Depository Library.
  The Federal Depository Library Program was established by Congress to 
ensure that the American public could access government records and 
information locally. The 10 depository libraries in Rhode Island are 
part of a network of more than 1,200 libraries nationwide that provide 
free access to Federal Government materials, both in print and online.
  In 1861, under a newly enacted law granting each Senator the 
authority to assign one depository in their State, Senator James F. 
Simmons designated the Brown University Library as an official 
depository to receive U.S. Government publications. While Brown 
University had been receiving government documents through various 
channels since revolutionary times, this designation established Brown 
as the first depository library in Rhode Island and one of the earliest 
so designated libraries in the Nation.
  For the past 150 years, the Brown University Library has helped 
students, faculty, and residents throughout Rhode Island find and use 
government information. The collection at Brown contains a wide variety 
of government documents that reflect the rich history of Rhode Island 
and the Nation as a whole, including historical debates surrounding the 
adoption of the 13th amendment abolishing slavery and legislation 
authored by my predecessor Senator Claiborne Pell establishing the 
National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the 
Humanities. It is also home to a wealth of information useful to Rhode 
Islanders, such as demographic

[[Page S5066]]

data on the changing and diverse nature of the State's population; a 
vast array of health and wellness materials; and business and economic 
news and reports.
  Since 1994, Brown and other Federal depository libraries have worked 
in partnership with the U.S. Government Printing Office to make 
government information in a digital format directly accessible to the 
public via the Internet. First, through the GPO Access online system, 
and now through GPO's Federal Digital System, the American public has 
free access to authenticated information from all three branches of the 
Federal Government.
  Across the country, Federal depository libraries enable the public to 
stay informed on the workings of our government and provide free access 
to all types of essential information. Additionally, they play a vital 
role in preserving the historical record of our democracy. I 
congratulate Brown University Library for its 150 years of serving as a 
resource for the people of Rhode Island and am proud to celebrate an 
institution that is dedicated to informing Rhode Islanders and 
advancing the values of our democracy.

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