On Jan. 21, UCLA officially welcomed California's Center for the Book to its new home at the Department of Information Studies during a program that included the awarding of the UCLA Medal to Dr. Billington. The medal, UCLA's highest honor, was bestowed by UCLA Chancellor Albert Carnesale, who described Dr. Billington as "one of the era's great innovators" in education and in the preservation of America's cultural heritage.
Celebrating the move of the California Center for the Book to UCLA are (from left): California State Librarian Kevin Starr, Interim Director Natalie Cole, Michele Cloonan (holding The California Community of the Book, an early California Center for the Book publication), Dr. Billington, Center for the Book Director John Cole and Aimee Dorr, dean of the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies.
"Moving the California Center for the Book from Sacramento to Los Angeles places this valuable program in one of the most dynamic urban centers in the world," said California State Librarian Kevin Starr. "The California State Library is providing funding to UCLA to help support the center. UCLA, in turn, will provide seed money to most of the 12 statewide satellite programs to help support their programs." "We're delighted with the California center's move to UCLA and the new statewide commitment to the national Center for the Book's goals," said Center for the Book Director John Y. Cole, who also participated in the Jan. 21 program.
Kevin Starr and John Cole
Michelle Cloonan, chair of UCLA's Department of Information Studies, opened the ceremony by explaining that the day's theme, "Creativity, Preservation, Liberty," was designed to complement "Libraries, Creativity, Liberty," the theme of the Library of Congress's Bicentennial commemoration. While celebrating the importance of books and reading, the program also highlighted the importance of motion picture preservation and the announcement of a moving-image archival degree program that is being developed at UCLA as a cooperative project of the Department of Information Studies, the School of Theater, Film and Television, and the UCLA Film and Television Archive. Other speakers were Robert Rosen, dean of the School of Theater, Film and Television; Tim Kittleson, director of the UCLA Film and Television Archive; and Roger Mayer, president of Turner Entertainment Co. and chairman of the National Film Preservation Foundation.
In his remarks, Dr. Billington described the UCLA program and events to come later in Sacramento as "wonderful and appropriate ways" to celebrate the Library of Congress's Bicentennial. "Ours is a collaborative celebration, and today we are marking the beginnings of new collaborations between the Library of Congress and the libraries and universities of California." He noted that California was one of the most active states in the Bicentennial's Local Legacies project, and described new cooperative efforts being planned between the Library of Congress and the UCLA Film and Television Archive in preserving the nation's national television and video heritage. "Thus the Library of Congress looks forward to close cooperation with UCLA in both film and television preservation and in the continued development of the California Center for the Book."
Chancellor Carnesale congratulates Dr. Billington after presenting him with the UCLA Medal; bookmark from the exhibition, "Rich, Rare & Curious: Treasures of the California State Library," at the Crocker Art Museum.
The partner libraries in the expanded California Center for the Book are the California State Library, Fresno County Library, Los Angeles Public Library, Newport Beach Public Library, Sacramento Public Library, San Diego Public Library, San Francisco Public Library, San Jose Public Library, San Jose State University Library, Santa Monica Public Library, Shasta County Library and Stanford University Libraries.
The California Center for the Book's vision is "to promote the importance of reading, to improve literacy levels in California, to encourage the study of the book, book arts and printing; and to celebrate the book." For information about projects and plans, consult its Web site at www.calbook.org, or contact Natalie Cole, Interim Director, Department of Information Studies, UCLA, 222 GSE&IS Building, Box 951520, Los Angeles CA 90095-1520, telephone (310) 206-9361; fax (310) 206-4460.
Following the UCLA event, Dr. Billington, Ms. Cloonan, Mr. Cole and Mr. Starr departed for Sacramento and an exhibition opening that celebrated the 150th anniversary of the California State Library. The exhibition, "Rich, Rare & Curious: Treasures of the California State Library," curated by Gary Kurutz, director of special collections for California State Library, is at the Crocker Art Museum. Dr. Billington and Mr. Starr presented remarks during the opening.
Dr. Billington was presented with a framed resolution, introduced by State Senator Deborah Ortiz and approved by the California State Senate. The resolution reads:
WHEREAS, The People of California take the momentous occasion of the Sesquicentennial of the California State Library to recognize the Library of Congress on the occasion of its Bicentennial; and
WHEREAS, The People of California gratefully acknowledge the visit and inspiration of the Honorable James H. Billington, the 13th Librarian of Congress, in celebrating the founding of the California State Library, the oldest government library and cultural institution in the Far Western United States; and
WHEREAS, Under the able direction of Dr. James H. Billington, the Library of Congress is the foremost knowledge and information center in the world; and
WHEREAS, Under Dr. Billington's dynamic leadership, the Library of Congress has considerably benefited the people of California through its myriad programs ranging from information technology to the preservation and dissemination of its vast resources; and
WHEREAS, For two centuries, the Library of Congress has preserved the memory of the American people and the American experience; and
WHEREAS, The Library of Congress continues to make an invaluable contribution to the understanding and interpretation of California's unparalleled history through its rich collections and generous outreach programs; and
WHEREAS, Through its Center for the Book, the Library of Congress has stimulated a new appreciation for reading, literacy, the book arts, printing history, and book collecting throughout the Golden State, and
WHEREAS, Through its National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, the Library of Congress has made possible the California State Library's invaluable service to the visually impaired; and
WHEREAS, The Library of Congress is to be congratulated for its extraordinary service to the nation over the past two centuries; and
WHEREAS, the 200th birthday of America's national library in the year 2000 serves to underscore the vital role libraries play in our democratic society and the leadership of the Library of Congress as it embarks upon its third century; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED by Senator Deborah Ortiz, that she commends the Honorable James H. Billington, the Librarian of Congress, on the occasion of the California State Library's Sesquicentennial and the Library of Congress's Bicentennial, and conveys to him the appreciation of the public for the serious manner in which he has worked to preserve for future generations the history of our nation.
