By ADRIANNE NASH
The celebration of the Library's Bicentennial would not be complete without the participation of the Library's international friends and neighbors.
Since the International Gifts to the Nation project was initiated last fall, more than 30 foreign embassies in Washington have given the Library some 800 items, ranging from rare volumes to coffee table books, from videos and compact discs to limited-edition decorative religious texts.
"We're delighted to find new ways to engage the nations of the world in the life of the Library of Congress," said Carolyn Brown, assistant librarian for library services and acting director of Area Studies. "The spirit with which these gifts was given was very generous, heartfelt and touching."
The International Gifts to the Nation project is an extension of the successful "Gifts to the Nation," one of the Bicentennial's major projects. Through the generosity of private donors, the Library received more than $47 million in donations and gifts.
Thirty-seven million dollars in gifts was given by members of the Library's Madison Council, a private sector advisory group of 103 prominent cultural, business and philanthropic leaders.
One of the most ambitious Gifts to the Nation projects is the reconstitution of the original core of the Library's vast and diverse personal collection of Thomas Jefferson.
"The importance of the Gifts to the Nation project cannot be overestimated," said Dr. Billington. "Even the world's largest library needs to continue to enrich its collections with important items. The re-creation of Jefferson's library and the acquisition of other rare items that the Library is seeking will benefit our millions of patrons worldwide."
In October 1999, the Librarian of Congress wrote 175 embassies inviting them to join in celebrating the Library's Bicentennial and its 200-year tradition of collecting research materials from all over the world, in all languages of the world. In his letter, the Librarian explained Jefferson's influence.
"The Library's collections have been international since its earliest days, when the United States purchased … the magnificent personal library of our third president, Thomas Jefferson," Dr. Billington said in his letter. "He believed that international knowledge was essential to a legislative body, and many of his books were in foreign languages. His vision of a universal collection that preserved the world's intellectual heritage continues to guide the Library to this day." He also noted that more than half of the Library's collections are in languages other than English.
Dr. Billington then invited the embassies to give "an item that the Library is unlikely to already have—something that embodies your nation's achievements or culture."
Once they arrive, the items for the collections are held in one of the four Area Studies divisions. Materials from English-speaking nations are also temporarily secured in one of these divisions. On Oct, 5, they will be displayed during the gala event celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Madison Council. Members of the Council, Congress and the diplomatic community will have an opportunity to view the donated gifts that evening.
Of the items already donated under the Gifts project, about 270 are written in a language other than English. Most of the items are books, including rare and limited edition items. Embassies have also contributed videos, music CDs, audiotapes, facsimiles and other print materials. Several nations have donated complete sets or multiple items.
The response to Dr. Billington's letter has been steady. Many ambassadors first called the Library asking for details about the program, as well as suggestions of possible donations. Many embassies contacted both their national governments and their national libraries in order to secure appropriate items.
Delivery methods have differed. While many embassies sent their donations by mail, other ambassadors delivered their gifts in person. In some cases, items were delivered by high-level dignitaries. On Feb. 24, Spain's King Juan Carlos I, during his visit to the Library, presented the Library with a full-color facsimile volume recording the history of the Spanish kings up to the mid-1500s.
Ms. Brown said that the project thus far has created the opportunity to strengthen relations with the ambassadorial community. Ms. Brown also noted that several of the ambassadors have backgrounds in literature or book culture, which makes their enthusiasm for the "International Gifts" project all the greater.
"It really has been wonderful," said Lavonda Broadnax, library automation operations coordinator in Area Studies and the coordinator of the current project. "It has been a time to increase contact between the area specialists and the representatives of these countries."
Some of the collection items are of particular significance. For example, on June 10, the "national day" of Portugal, the ambassador of Portugal delivered an extremely rare three-volume set of books published between 1706 and 1712. The books, all written by Antonio Carvalho da Costa, contain maps, political information, complete genealogies of Portuguese nobility and geographic descriptions, among other things. The volumes are considered a valuable addition to the Library because of their rarity as well as their comprehensive description of Portugal in the 18th century.
Another valuable gift arrived when the Estonian ambassador delivered a special limited-edition printing of his country's translation of the Book of Revelations, with exquisite purple and gold illustrations on fine paper. The embassy prepared a special box to house the item and the video and CDs that accompanied it.
One of the more unique additions was a gift of almost 170 Brazilian chapbooks, donated by the Brazilian embassy in November 1999. Chapbooks are small, inexpensive books, usually with a woodcut-print cover, which may contain tracts, ballads, poems or other contemporary writings. The chapbooks, which are designed to help Brazilian adults learn how to read, are published locally and typically are quite fragile. Although they are inexpensive items, they are very difficult to acquire. The Library has the largest chapbook collection in the world outside of Brazil, and the embassy's donation was a welcome addition to the collection.
New items are steadily arriving. The ambassador from Thailand donated six books, including two books published by the country's Office of the Private Secretary of the Queen, which are not readily available for sale. Ms. Brown has recently been contacted by the Japanese Embassy with questions regarding a possible donation, and a notification from the State of Qatar informed the Library that a donation of more than 200 items, mostly in Arabic, is en route.
Another unusual addition was a facsimile of the Treaty of Waitangi, donated by the New Zealand embassy. The treaty, originally signed on Feb. 6, 1840, was an agreement among approximately 45 Maori chiefs, several British residents and a British captain on behalf of Queen Victoria. The treaty consists of nine separate documents, and all but one are written in Maori, translated from the original English version drafted by Capt. William Hobson.
In order to prepare for the gala, the Library set August 15 as the deadline for receipt of any gifts that will be on view that evening. The Library's Area Studies and Interpretive Programs offices have initiated planning for the display. After the gala, all the items will be sent to the appropriate departmental unit, based on the normal pattern of distribution followed by the Library.
Ms. Nash is an intern with The Gazette, the Library's staff newsletter.