Library of Congress
Rueters donates $1 million for digitization of Founding Fathers
Library Represented at Japan Symposium
Science at the Library is a hoot!
The Learning Page - reaching students
Suzanne Throin, associate librarian, moves to Indiana University
The project will make it possible, for the first time, to place unique presidential manuscripts from the Library on-line. The Jefferson and Washington papers will be digitized for inclusion in the National Digital Library's collection of American history materials available at http://www.loc.gov/
"Today's gift from Reuters will make it possible for the Library to share widely two collections of papers of the Founding Fathers," said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. "Our manuscript collections of 23 presidents are among the most important in the Library, and the generosity of Reuters will offer Americans everywhere the chance to view these key documents of their nation's history."
The news conference, dubbed "The Founding Fathers Go Digital," was attended by Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), Rep. Thomas Bliley (R-Va.), Reuters Chief Executive Peter Job, students and a teacher from Evans Junior High School in Washington and St. Christopher Middle School in Richmond, Va., and representatives from "What on Earth," a multimedia project from Reuters.
"Reuters is pleased it is working with the Library of Congress to bring American history to the digital age," said Mr. Job. "Through the application of the latest technology, wider access to historically significant materials has become possible. Scholars, local libraries, classroom students and families in the home-indeed anyone with access to the Internet-will now be able to see and use these materials more readily.
"I congratulate the Library of Congress and thank Speaker Gingrich and Rep. Bliley. We are delighted to be associated with this program."
Rep. Gingrich said that "the Library of Congress is beginning the process of creating, on a world basis, a shared set of information breakthroughs, and Reuters's gift will help remind people of the genius of freedom. ... When you study Washington and Jefferson you are in touch with the fabric that created the world you live in. ... What did they think? How did they pursue their goals? ... Through the Library of Congress, people all over the world will be able to `touch' these documents, not just read what a historian thinks."
Rep. Bliley added an air of levity to the occasion by noting that the British burned the Library, then housed in the U.S. Capitol, during the War of 1812. "It is so nice you have come back to help us," he said, looking at the chief executive of Reuters, which is based in London.
"We will compress time and distance in ways we can never imagine. Today is just the beginning," predicted Rep. Bliley, who, as chairman of the House Commerce Committee, was instrumental in the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, signed at the Library in February.
Providing a demonstration of what is available today from the National Digital Library and what will be possible in the future was Robert Zich, director of electronic programs for the NDL Program. Mr. Zich offered such initiatives as the digitized versions of the Gettysburg Address and political speeches of U.S. leaders, as well as a taste of the Washington papers as they will appear on the Internet. Several of Washington's papers had been digitized just for the occasion. Those who attended the conference were able to view the originals in a special exhibit prepared by Gerald Gawalt, Manuscript Division specialist in early American history, who explained the importance of the papers to guests.
Mr. Zich was introduced by Laura Campbell, NDL Program director, who told the audience that the contribution of Reuters will also enable the Library to expand the educational impact of the presidential papers through outlets other than the Internet such as "What on Earth," a cable program from Reuters delivered daily to 1,500 classrooms across the country.
The final part of the program was devoted to a demonstration of "What on Earth," during which students from Evans Junior High and St. Christopher Middle School answered questions from Rep. Bliley relating to the Washington and Jefferson papers. They had learned about the papers from a "What on Earth" program developed by editors Katie King and Janet Walters. Student-reporter Tomicah Tillemann-Dick, 16, had interviewed Dr. Billington and Dr. Gawalt for his story. His work brought a smile to the faces of two guests in the audience: Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) and his wife, who are his grandparents.
Later that day, Reuters held a dinner featuring David Brinkley as the speaker in the Northwest Curtain of the Jefferson Building's Great Hall.
"We have here on the shelves not only the history, dreams, fantasies and poetic longings of the human race," Mr. Brinkley said. "We also have the mundane, a century or so of the Dow Jones industrial average. All of it is gathered, protected and enclosed here in an envelope of limestone, granite and marble.
"Everything is here, yes," he continued. "But not everything is easily and quickly accessible. ... But there is help. The leadership of the Library of Congress-Dr. Billington leading the way-is creating what they call the National Digital Library."
The goal of the NDL Program is to make freely available over the Internet 5 million items by the year 2000, in collaboration with other institutions. The Reuters contribution will help the Library meet that goal by providing the funds necessary to digitize the approximately 65,000 items in the Washington Papers and 25,000 in the Jefferson Papers.
The George Washington Papers focus on the first president's career as surveyor, farmer, military leader and politician. Washington's correspondence, account books and other papers are the preeminent source for study of the military aspects of the American Revolution. His correspondence, diaries, journals and meticulously maintained records are unparalleled records of the creation of the national government.
The Jefferson Papers reflect the more speculative and philosophical mind of the author of the Declaration of Independence, reformer of the Virginia Constitution and founder of the University of Virginia. The third president's web of intellectual communication within the North Atlantic community is clearly seen in his extensive correspondence on subjects as diverse as Native American languages, scientific farming and the best form of government for France and Great Britain. His interest in the early history of Virginia led to the preservation of some of the earliest known records of Jamestown and the Virginia Company of London.
Reuters supplies the global business community and news media with a wide range of products including real-time financial data, transaction systems, access to numerical and textual historical databases, news, graphics, still photos and news video. Reuters maintains an international network of about 1,860 journalists, photographers and cameramen, and some 327,000 clients access Reuters information.
-- Guy Lamolinara
Public Affairs Office
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Ms. Thorin described changes already being made in the Library of Congress as a result of emerging technologies. These include delivery of the Library's historical collections, among other initiatives, via the World Wide Web and THOMAS, a congressional database. Ms. Thorin also discussed the collections recently added to the American Memory collection, such as daguerreotypes, pamphlets relating to slavery and the civil rights movement and documents from the Constitutional Congress.
--Virginia Sorkin
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The event, sponsored by the ASTC and the Library of Congress, was held in the Library's Digital Library Visitors' Center. During the day, teachers went on-line with "Journey North" and the "Science Learning Network," two programs on the leading edge of Internet-based science learning opportunities reaching out to teachers and students.
Through "Journey North," the teachers added their hometown observations of the status of spring and its migrating animals. "Pilot teachers" Sharon Prick and James Epperly, from the Science Museum of Minnesota, guided the voyagers. "Journey North" is located at
The teachers also experienced one of the nation's most advanced learning tools, the Science Learning Network (SLN). SLN is a partnership of the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, the Exploratorium of San Francisco, the Miami Museum of Science; the Museum of Science in Boston, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland, the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul and Unisys Corp. The SLN includes an index of on-line science, math and technology resources, and creates links between information resources.
For example, a teacher researching astronomy activities for sixth graders could discover a hands-on activity that explains how to make a telescope post, courtesy of the Franklin Institute's World Wide Web server. By clicking on a highlighted word, the teacher can also obtain information explaining how students can sign up for an opportunity to use the giant telescope on Mount Wilson in California. The SLN is located at
The teachers who participated in "Science Online at the Library" are among 55 outstanding teachers from 25 states and 11 countries named to the ASTC Honor Roll of Teachers for 1996. Since 1984, as part of its celebration of National Science and Technology Week, ASTC has recognized teachers who are exceptionally creative and dedicated, who go above and beyond the normal requirements of their school curriculum and who use the resources of their local science centers to inspire and stimulate their students' interest in science and technology.
Dennis Wint, president of ASTC, explained what made the ASTC Honor Roll-Library of Congress event important: "On-line programs developed by science centers as represented by "Journey North" and the "Science Learning Network" are revolutionizing science learning. This event demonstrates how these electronic tools can be used in partnership with dedicated professionals to enhance their teaching and to demonstrate science's potential to their students."
In addition to the on-line activities, the honorees met with members of Congress, toured the U.S. Botanic Garden, visited the National Zoo and attended a luncheon sponsored by USA Today.
--Virginia Sorkin
National Digital Library Program
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The Learning Page is part of the Library's effort to reach a new constituency, the K-12 community, which is not served in its reading rooms. The page offers organized help for searching the Library's primary resource collections that have been on-line since 1994.
Martha Dexter of the NDL Program's educational services area said, "We are eager to serve students and educators with free access to the Library's primary source materials of rare Americana. We also look forward to hearing from this new constituency with ideas on how best to meet their needs."
The Learning Page offers new, education-related help in searching these collections categorized by the Events, Topics, People, Time and Places of American history. The Learning Page offers new pathways for teachers and students to learn about the history of America from the digitized versions of documents of the Continental Congress, turn-of-the-century films and Mathew Brady's Civil War photographs.
"Primary source materials from the Library of Congress add flesh and blood to the story of history," said Bernard Hollister, of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora, Ill.
Educators know that history is much more than dates and facts. "The picture collections provide a visual history which engages sutdents in new ways," said Gwen Harrison, of Hammond Middle School in Alexandria, Va.
Most teachers, however, have little access to the primary sources that can make history come alive for students. Primary sources are the authentic documents, photographs and manuscripts that transform history into a well-told story. Through the Learning Page, students will have help accessing 29,000 photographs, 99 motion pictures, 5,900 documents and 59 sound recordings currently available on-line from the Library of Congress. Over the years, items will be continuously added to the on-line collections.
The Learning Page also features an e-mail gateway to a reference librarian and comment sections that support the exchange of ideas among educators and students. The page includes a tutorial on historical detection that encourages learners to solve a mystery using information found in the on-line collections. An Educator's Page offers files of teacher- generated project ideas for using the Library's historical collections in the classroom. Links to other history- and education-related Web sites for students and teachers have been included as well. The launch of the Learning Page coincides with the release of five digitized collections from the Library.
The Learning Page is made possible by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, which is helping the Library identify educational uses of digitized materials to develop students' research skills and critical thinking (see story, issue No. 2).
-- Guy Lamolinara
Public Affairs Office
Lisa Alexander,
National Digital Library Program
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She will head one of the largest research library systems in the United States, with 7 million bound volumes, 27 million other items and 32 libraries, including the main library, the Lilly Library-which houses a major collection of rare books and manuscripts-and 15 departmental libraries.
The Indiana University board of trustees confirmed her appointment May 3.
"This will be a wonderful job, and it is an honor for me to be a part of this great university," Ms. Thorin said. "This will be a great opportunity for me to use the broad experience I have gained at the Library of Congress. It is hard to leave the Library and my friends and colleagues, but I am looking forward to being part of an academic community again."
"We will all keenly miss Suzanne's remarkable skill in assessing problems, formulating solutions and balancing the best interests of the institution and staff, but we share her excitement as she embarks on the new opportunities and challenges she assumes in Indiana. Her successes at the Library have clearly prepared her for this opportunity to direct a major library system within a great university," said Dr. James H. Billington, the Librarian of Congress.
As associate librarian, Ms. Thorin has authority for administrative support services, including information technology, human resources, security, space planning and the National Digital Library Program. She was appointed by the White House as the U.S. representative for the G-7 electronic libraries project, one of 11 G-7 pilots for the Global Information Society (see box, page 3).
Until her latest appointment, Ms. Thorin served for nearly four years as the Library's chief of staff. She was the acting director of Public Service and Collection Management (PSCM) I, August 1991 to March 1992; chief, General Reading Rooms Division 1988 to August 1991; assistant chief of that division, 1985-88; head, Research Facilities, 1983-85; and head, Music Section, National Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), 1980-82. She was associate professor of music and music librarian at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Pa., from 1968-1980.
Ms. Thorin earned master's degrees from the University of Michigan in library science (1968) and music history and literature (1964) and a bachelor's degree in music education from North Park College in Chicago (1963). She is a member of several professional associations and lectures and gives speeches about library subjects.
One highlight of her 16-year Library career, Ms. Thorin said, was serving as chief of staff, "which gave me experience with the political process, formulating the budget and working closely with the Librarian of Congress, who is a visionary leader. I also learned a lot working with our oversight committees."
Another highlight was being involved in the beginning of the Library's digital library effort, which included planning and collaborating with 14 other libraries to create the National Digital Library Federation and creating the Digital Library Visitors' Center.
"My involvement in the National Digital Library made me realize I wanted to be more directly involved again in the education of young people," Ms. Thorin said. "There is real excitement at Indiana University, with Ameritech building a new on-line public-access catalog and the Big 10 universities working together on all sorts of projects and shared goals."
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