By AUDREY FISCHER
The Library marked several milestones in 2003, including the 30th anniversay of the cooperative online serials cataloging program known as CONSER, which built a database of more than one million bibliographic serial records, and the 20th anniversary of the United States Newspaper Program, which is on track to preserve more than 60 million pages of mewsprint on microfilm by the year 2006. In January 2003, under the terms of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the Librarian of Congress announced the first annual selection of 50 recordings to the National Recording Registry. The list recognizes many important firsts in the history of recording in America, which are techincal, musical and cultural achievements.
The Library continued to share its vast resources locally as well as globally through its award-winning Web site (www.loc.gov). At year's end, the site contained more than 8.5 million American historial items for scholars and researches, children and families. Through a collaborative digitization effort known as Global Gateway, the Library added matericals that highlight the multicultural influences that have shaped the nation. The Library also continued to work in partnership with other organizations to develop a National Digital Information and Infrastructure Preservation Program to sort, acquire, describe and preserve electronic materials.
Audrey Fischer is a public affairs specialist in the Public Affairs Office. Portions of this article were excerpted from other staff reports