A
Call for Partners: It's About You
The
Smithsonian's great challenge is to help us understand the forces
of nature and culture that continue to shape our world. Our scientists,
scholars and educators could not perform their research, prepare
exhibitions, publish interpretive results, or develop educational
programs and curricula without the resources and staff assistance
provided by the Libraries.
Ranging
from 15th century manuscripts to electronic journals, our library
collections are a tremendous resource for the nation. They offer
many opportunities to connect a growing America to its historical,
cultural and scientific heritage.
The
Smithsonian Institution Libraries has reached a critical juncture
in our ability to guide library users through the vastly increasing
sources of information available in both traditional and electronic
formats. The day has passed when access to our collections meant
a physical presence in the library. The Internet has made it possible
for anyone, anywhere, to use the Smithsonian Libraries.
The
implications of this dramatically expanded constituency on the Libraries
are profound. Recently, the Libraries undertook a strategic self-evaluation
with the objective of redefining its place in the new information
millennium. The result is a new vision for the Libraries that underscores
its readiness to serve the nation:
"The
Smithsonian Institution Libraries, the most comprehensive museum
library in the world, strives to become an internationally-recognized
source for recorded knowledge and information in subjects related
to Smithsonian interests. We will be catalyst, partner, and participant
in the use of information technology and the transformation of
scholarly research in the sciences, arts, and cultural heritage
of the United States."
Turning
this vision into reality requires a significant investment of time,
creativity, and financial resources. We must build on the limited
base of funding we receive from the Federal government by engaging
private partners in discovery, interested citizens with a strong
belief in the educational value of the collections we hold and a
desire to assist the Libraries in making these collections widely
available. Together, we can help knowledge-seekers worldwide to
find and enjoy the written treasures of the nation's great cultural
and scientific center, the Smithsonian Institution.
Nancy
E. Gwinn
Director
Smithsonian
Institution Libraries
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