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September 25, 2000
Contact: Guy Lamolinara (202) 707-9217
Public contact: (202) 707-5221

Bicentennial Symposium on National Libraries to Be Held at the Library of Congress on October 23-26, 2000

"National Libraries of the World: Interpreting the Past, Shaping the Future," a Library of Congress Bicentennial symposium, will be held in the Mumford Room in the Library's James Madison Memorial Building on October 23-26, 2000. The meeting will bring together historians and national librarians from around the world to discuss the significance, influence, and future of national libraries.

The symposium is divided into two segments: "Interpreting the Past: Libraries, Society, and Culture" on October 23-24, designed primarily for library historians; and "Shaping the Future: Current and Future Issues Facing National Libraries," designed primarily for current national librarians. The symposium has been designated Library History Seminar X, continuing a series established among library historians in the United States in 1961.

"National Libraries of the World" will be cochaired by John Y. Cole, Director of the Center for the Book, and Winston Tabb, Associate Librarian for Library Services. The symposium has been planned in cooperation with several organizations: the American Library Association's Library History Round Table; three administrative units of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) -- the Round Table on Library History, the Section on Reading, and the Section on National Libraries; and the Conference of Directors of National Libraries (CDNL). Partial support is being provided by the Council on Library and Information Resources.

Space is available for a limited number of observers at each session, but registration is required on a day-to-day basis. For further information and to register, contact the Center for the Book, Library of Congress, Washington D.C. 20540, telephone (202) 707-5221, fax (202) 707-0269, or e-mail: cfbook@loc.gov.

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PR 00-148
9/25/00
ISSN 0731-3527