[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 3709]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                         TRIBUTE TO JD WAGGONER

 Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, today I pay tribute to a 
dedicated professional who has worked at the West Virginia Library 
Commission for 40 years, including 9 years as its executive director, 
Mr. JD Waggoner.
  JD Waggoner is a true leader and effective advocate for libraries. I 
have been extraordinarily proud to work closely with him over many 
years, and I understand and appreciate the special role that libraries 
play in communities across our State. In addition to his leadership at 
the commission, JD also has been a volunteer fireman which is another 
sign of his community service.
  Thanks to the leadership of JD and others, our libraries are 
connected to the Internet and provide quality services to West 
Virginians. We worked together on the program I helped to create in the 
1996 Telecommunications Act known as the E-Rate. This discount program 
provides $2.25 billion in discounts for telecommunications, Internet 
access and internal connections to libraries and schools nationwide. In 
West Virginia, it provides over $10 million each year to libraries and 
schools. JD Waggoner and his team have done an amazing job in managing 
this program and helping the smaller, rural libraries deal with the 
paperwork and challenges. Thanks to this access, our libraries now 
provide access to thousands of current publications for patrons to 
enjoy and learn.
  The Library Commission also has a special initiative known as 
Learning Express. This program provides access to practice tests on a 
wide range of programs from the GED, ACT and SAT, and other 
professional licenses. This means that individuals can visit their 
libraries and, for free, take practice online exams to prepare for the 
real tests rather than pay expensive fees. This is a truly wonderful 
opportunity to help West Virginians advance their education. The 
director and the Library Commission are the support network for our 
libraries and the services range from Internet access to story hours 
and literacy efforts to hosting community groups and special events 
include movies or presentations. Libraries are hubs of activity and 
recent studies indicate people looking for work are more comfortable 
looking for work online at the library rather than an employment 
office.
  Our West Virginia libraries are true treasures because of the 
dedication and leadership of JD Waggoner, his team and local librarians 
across our states. While JD Waggoner will be deeply missed, he most 
certainly deserves that chance to relax and enjoy his retirement. I 
wish him the very best and wanted to share his history with my Senate 
colleagues.

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