[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 6259]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK

 Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, this week from April 11-17 we are 
celebrating the 41st anniversary of ``National Library Week.'' As a 
strong and vigorous supporter of Federal initiatives to strengthen and 
protect libraries, I am pleased to take this opportunity to draw my 
colleagues' attention to this important occasion and 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 same principle of free and open exchange of 
ideas as the Constitution itself. Libraries have always been an 
integral part of all that our country embodies: 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 travelling 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 gain even further significance in this age of rapid 
technological advancement where they are called upon to provide not 
only books and periodicals, but many other valuable resources as well. 
In today's society, libraries provide audio-visual materials, computer 
services, internet access terminals, facilities for community lectures 
and performances, tapes, records, videocassettes, 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's 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 Western, Southern, and Eastern 
Shore counties, and a Statewide database of holdings totalling 178 
libraries.
  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 by 
borrowing more public library materials per person than citizens of 
almost any other State, with 67 percent of the State's population 
registered as library patrons.
  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 provide the unique and vital services 
available to all Americans.

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