| Remarks by Governor Kulongoski |
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| January 27, 2005 |
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State Library Centennial Celebration
Thank you Bill for you introduction – and for your energetic leadership as the new chair of the Oregon State Library Board. I deeply appreciate the hard work and commitment that you – and every member of the Board – are giving to this great institution.
I also want to thank Jim Scheppke and his staff for putting together this centennial celebration – and for keeping the Oregon State Library one of the most admired and successful state libraries in the country.
Jim – many Oregonians know that for 100 years the State Library has been the repository for valuable state documents. What they may not know is that you run one of the most effective programs for the visually-impaired. At no cost – visually impaired Oregonians can order almost any book on tape, and have it mailed to their home. You even supply the tape recorder. So I’m pleased to take this opportunity to recognize the work that you, your staff, and your army of volunteers are doing to make sure that for our visually impaired citizens – losing their sight doesn’t mean losing their love of books.
I also want to thank and acknowledge the Oregon Library Association. This is a time when libraries and librarians need a strong voice – to remind legislators and citizens about the important role libraries play in the education of children, academic research, and the preservation of our history and culture.
Finally – and most important – I want to thank Oregon’s librarians. In this information age of computers and the internet, the written word comes in different forms – and at a faster pace than ever before. It is also stored and distributed electronically. The card catalogue is rapidly becoming a historical artifact.
My point is: Library science is an evolving profession requiring highly specialized skills. So we’re here not just to celebrate a 100-year-old institution – but also to celebrate librarians, and the unique role you play in managing knowledge, preserving public records, and educating and giving hope to young people.
When I was growing up – I didn’t have much money. But as long as I had a book in my hand I felt rich. And more important, I knew that I had a future. I literally would not be where I am today if I hadn’t acquired and held on to a love for reading. That’s why I have such great admiration for librarians – by opening the world of books you open up a world of opportunity to every child. That means the gift you give as librarians is not just reading and learning – it is also greater economic and social justice.
I know that as part of this 100th anniversary of the Oregon State Library, a new exhibit is opening upstairs celebrating 100 of the greatest books written by Oregon authors.
You have already heard from David Milholland of the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission and Shannon Applegate, who spoke on behalf of Oregon writers. We’ll soon have a chance to see the exhibit. But before we go upstairs, I want to say that Oregon has an outstanding literary and cultural heritage that is critical to this state’s economy and quality of life. This heritage is not a frill – it is a necessity that must be preserved even in these tough budget times. I intend to do this.
And I will always be proud that Oregon is birthplace or home to some of this nation’s most important novelists, essayists, poets and historians. Their works speak to our hearts – and to the ages.
The 100 Oregon Books exhibit exemplifies this literary heritage – and is an invitation to literary greatness that I know future Oregon writers – with encouragement from librarians – will accept.
So I again thank you for your service to children, your communities and this state. What you do is critical to the success of my education agenda, and to making sure that the 100 year mission of the Oregon State Library – and the mission of all of our public libraries – never ends.
Thank you.
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