Planning the Library of Congress's Bicentennial Commemoration in 2000

The Library of Congress celebrates its bicentenary in 2000. It was decided to make the centenary of the Jefferson Building in 1997 the highlight of the centennial celebration (its anniversary had already been marked by several events). It was decided that the basic purpose would be to strengthen and if possible expand the library's relationships with its main constituencies. Certain major projects were brought under the bicentennial umbrella, e.g. the digitization of several million unique items from the collections. Other projects include Local Legacies (which involves asking each member of Congress to find or create documentation for at least one significant event or tradition relating to their state); Gifts to the Nation, which offers donors the chance of making contributions to the collections; ‘I Hear America Singing’, a three-year series of concerts etc.; and Favorite Poem, which will create an archive of recordings of citizens saying their favourite poems. A symposium ‘National Libraries of the World: Interpreting the Past, Reshaping the Future’ is planned for October 2000.