Bill Clinton: “And now, ladies and gentlemen, for the National Humanities Medals. Patricia Battin is saving history. The high acidic…”

“And now, ladies and gentlemen, for the National Humanities Medals. Patricia Battin is saving history. The high acidic content of paper threatens to destroy millions of old books, but she has led the national campaign to raise awareness about this challenge and preserve the genius of the past. As the first president of the Commission on Preservation and Access, she has helped to spur America's libraries and archives to transfer information from so-called brittle books to microfilm and optical disks. As a result, more than 770,000 books have already been preserved. She's also one of our Nation's leading authorities on changing learning patterns of the digital age. From 19th century books to 21st century technology, Patricia Battin is strengthening our storehouse of knowledge for the future. Thank you for saving the knowledge of the past for the children of tomorrow. Colonel, read the citation. [Lieutenant Colonel Everhart read the citation, and the President presented the medal.]”