Political Quotes

“an important anniversary will be marked on September 14, at the Library of Congress. Twenty years ago, in the Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson Building, then-President Reagan presided over the swearing-in of Dr. James H. Billington as the 13th Librarian of Congress. When he was appointed, Dr. Billington brought great expertise to the Library, both as the world's premier scholar of Russian culture and history and as director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. His vision, and the hard work of so many dedicated Library staff members, has led to continued growth of the Library of Congress. He has fulfilled the promise made on September 14, 1987--to make the riches of the Library more broadly available to ever widening circles of our society. At the time, Senator Wendell Ford remarked that the Library of Congress 'represents our nation's commitment to a knowledgeable citizenry.' Dr. Billington has upheld that commitment by enhancing the Library and making its riches and inspiration available to all Americans. Under his leadership, the Copyright Office, the Law Library, the Congressional Research Service, and the National Library have seamlessly worked together to build the collections and preserve them for future generations. The Library's accomplishments of the last two decades are extraordinary. The collections have expanded by 50 million items, and state-of-the art facilities have been built to ensure their long-term preservation.”