The Library of Congress (LC) is a cultural icon to the American people and it is an inspiration to not just our libraries but to cultural organizations everywhere. Its sheer size is daunting yet its mission language is decidedly simple, elegant and inspiring.
“The Library's mission is to support the Congress in fulfilling its constitutional duties and to further the progress of knowledge and creativity for the benefit of the American people.”
The Library’s programmatic expression of its mission touches every aspect of knowledge from the arts and humanities to the sciences. At the Portland Public Library the connections are direct. LC has for decades been a driving force in setting strategic direction for America's and the world’s libraries through establishing standards for information organization, discovery and sharing.
Two of our closest cultural collaborators are significantly influenced and inspired by LC. The Library of Congress Center for the Book was established in 1977 to promote books, reading, libraries, and literacy. The Maine Humanities Council has served since 1997 as the Maine Center for the Book and has worked hard to fulfill that mission.
Maine Historical Society has built a nationally respected tool called Maine Memory Network which was inspired over a decade ago by the LC’s American Memory project. Maine Memory now provides on-line access to tens of thousands historical documents from not just the Society’s collections but from over 200 other organizations throughout Maine. Resources for teachers and on-line exhibits are also included. It has become the indispensable tool for preserving and studying Maine history.
We are honored to co-host the Library of Congress travelling exhibition today and Saturday on Monument Square. Our thanks are extended to our friends at the Portland Downtown District for their co-sponsorship.
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