[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 92 (Wednesday, June 10, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E874]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               RETIREMENT OF DR. JAMES HADLEY BILLINGTON

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 10, 2015

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
recognize the extraordinary leadership of Dr. James Hadley Billington, 
the 13th Librarian of Congress and renowned scholar of Russia. 
Following 28 years of tireless service, Dr. Billington announced that 
he will be retiring from his post as the Librarian of Congress. During 
his tenure, Dr. Billington made significant contributions by providing 
visionary leadership as he ushered the Library of Congress into the 
digital age.
  Since being unanimously confirmed by the Senate in 1987, Dr. 
Billington has overseen the expansion of the Library's collection size. 
It has roughly doubled, from 85.5 million items in 1987 to more than 
160 million items today. Dr. Billington dedicated much of his efforts 
to ensuring that our nations historic items and collections be made 
readily available to the American public. In his early years, at the 
dawn of the internet age, he worked to facilitate an innovative program 
for the Library of Congress known as the National Digital Library (NDL) 
Program, which ensured that American historical and cultural 
information was available online. As a result of his efforts, projects 
such as the NDL, Congress.gov, and numerous pieces of information from 
the U.S. Copyright Office have become frequently used in K-12 education 
systems across America.
  In addition to efforts ensuring the spread of the richly diverse 
history of the United States, Dr. Billington is also responsible for 
the development of the World Digital Library. A project similar to the 
NDL, the World Digital Library compiles cultural materials from the 193 
countries listed in the UNESCO into one database for public access. I 
can say without question that throughout his decades of service, Dr. 
Billington has been firmly dedicated to the spread of information.
  Dr. Billington has been an outstanding leader and educator to both 
our nation and the world. I wish him the best of luck in his future 
endeavors. I have no doubt that his contributions to our global society 
will have a significant impact on scholastic achievement for 
generations to come.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to the 
service and sacrifice of Dr. James Hadley Billington.

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