114 STAT. 3138 CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS—APR. 13, 2000 Apr. 13, 2000 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS BICENTENNIAI^ [H. Con. Res. 269] COMMENDATION Whereas the Library of Congress, America's oldest Federal cultural institution, was established on April 24, 1800, and in its 200 years of existence has become the largest and most inclusive library in human history; Whereas the Library's mission is to make its resources available and useful to the Congress and the American people and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity; Whereas, in furtherance of its mission, the Library has amassed an unparalleled collection of 119 million items, a superb staff of "knowledge navigators", and networks for gathering the world's knowledge for the Nation's good; Whereas the Library, the Congress, and the Nation have benefited richly from the work of thousands of talented and dedicated Library employees throughout the Library's 200-year history; Whereas the citizens of the United States have generously contributed to the Library's collections through their own creativity, social and scholarly discourse, donation of materials in all formats, and generous philanthropic support; Whereas the goal of the Librar^s bicentennial commemoration is to inspire creativity in the centuries ahead and remind Americans that all libraries are the cornerstones of democracy, encouraging greater use of the Library of Congress and libraries everywhere; Whereas this goal will be achieved through a variety of national, State, and local projects, developed in collaboration with Members of Congress, the staff of the Library of Congress, libraries and librarians throughout the Nation, and the Library's James Madison Council and other philanthropic supporters; Whereas the centerpiece of the bicentennial celebration is the Local Legacies Project, a joint effort of Congress and the Library of Congress to document distinctive cultural traditions and historic events representing local communities throughout the country at the turn of the 21st century; and Whereas the bicentennial commemorative activities also include symposia, exhibitions, publications, significant acquisitions, the issuance of a commemorative coin and stamp, and enhanced public access to the collections of the Library of Congress through the National Digital Library: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That the Congress commends the Library of Congress and its employees, both past and present, on 200 years of service to the Congress and the Nation and encourages the American public to participate in activities to commemorate the Library's bicentennial. Agreed to April 13, 2000.
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