================================================================= ALAWON Volume 6, Number 72 ISSN 1069-7799 August 19, 1997 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: (129 lines) WHITE HOUSE LAUNCHES MILLENNIUM PROGRAM _________________________________________________________________ WHITE HOUSE LAUNCHES MILLENNIUM PROGRAM On Friday, August 15 at the National Archives, the President and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton launched the White House Millennium Program--a multi-year national initiative to mark the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the new millennium. The Millennium Program will celebrate the accomplishments of the 20th century, recognize and initiate projects, and engage every sector of society in conveying the American heritage to future generations. "We find ourselves at the turn of our first millennium as a nation," Clinton said. "As the year 2000 draws near, we must ask ourselves, what will it take to meet that challenge, to define that future, to prepare ourselves for a new century and a new millennium? What of our values and heritage will we carry with us? And what gifts shall we give to the future?" The President said that the White House Millennium Program "will guide and direct America's celebration of the millennium by showcasing the achievements that define us as a nation--our culture, our scholarship, our scientific exploration." The President sounded many familiar themes in his remarks, saying "we are making education our children's first priority." He also repeated, "By the year 2000, we have set a goal of connecting every single classroom and library in the entire United States to the Internet. I thank the Congress for funding that endeavor, and the private sector for helping us, so far, to stay slightly ahead of schedule. We must redouble our efforts to make sure that every one of our fellow citizens has the tools to succeed in the new century." The White House Millennium Program Office will be led by the First Lady and directed by Ellen McCulloch-Lovell, former Director of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. Many federal agencies will sponsor millennium projects, and some annual events will be given a special millennium focus. The First Lady noted that the millennium falls in the same years as some important federal government milestones--the 200th anniversary of presidents occupying the White House, the 200th anniversary of the first meeting of Congress in the Capitol, and the 200th anniversary of the creation of the Library of Congress. Individual communities and the public will also participate. Among the examples of individual participation cited by the First Lady was "helping to raise money for a library." The President said the best local community millennium projects will be awarded the honorary title, Millennium Communities, and their stories will be posted on the White House website. Among the White House and federal agency millennium projects these are of special interest to the library community: --INTERNET GOAL. Work to connect every classroom and library in America to the Internet by the year 2000. --NATIONAL DIGITAL LIBRARY. The Library of Congress is putting part of its collection online for students, teachers and citizens. (Hillary Clinton noted that 2000 is the 200th anniversary of the Library of Congress.) --NATIONAL ARCHIVES PRESERVATION PROJECT. The National Archives has proposed a 3-year preservation plan to ensure that precious American Documents, such as the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights, survive into the next millennium. --MILLENNIUM MINUTES. The National Endowment for the Humanities will sponsor national television spots that highlight 1000 years of important events, people and achievements. --WORTHY ANCESTORS PROGRAM. The President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities will bring together commercial, creative and nonprofit sectors to save significant cultural material from folk, popular and classical traditions. --NSF2000. The National Science Foundation will launch a national education and information campaign on the importance of science, engineering and mathematics. --AMERICORPS GOAL. AmeriCorps has set a goal of doubling the number of full-time AmeriCorps volunteers by the year 2000. A summary and additional information about the program are available on the White House website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/Initiatives/Millennium/ The Millennium Program would seem to hold many opportunities for library participation, and could spark library-related community millennium projects. The ALA Washington Office will continue to report on signficant developments and highlight opportunities for the library community. _________________________________________________________________ ALAWON is a free, irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office. To subscribe, send the message: subscribe ala-wo [your_firstname] [your_lastname] to listproc @ala.org. To unsubscribe, send the message: unsubscribe ala-wo to listproc@ala.org. ALAWON archives at http://www.ala.org/ washoff/alawon. Visit our Web site at http://www.alawash.org. ALA Washington Office 202.628.8410 (V) 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #403 202.628.8419 (F) Washington, DC 20004-1701 800.941.8478 (V) Lynne E. Bradley, Editor Deirdre Herman, Managing Editor Contributors: Carol C. 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