· The Library of Congress is one of the largest libraries in the world
· It contains approximately 173 million items
· It serves as the library and research service for the United States Congress
Imagine being such a great librarian that you become the Librarian of Congress (LOC), serving 100 Senators, 435 Congressmen/women, and their staff people. With all that material, you’d think each of our elected officials and their staff people would be very knowledgeable. But it’s an illusion of knowledge. Because between them all, they can’t seem to get things right. We, the other 300 million people in the US should write and ask them how often they’ve taken advantage of the LOC’s materials and services. But I shouldn’t be picking on our elected teams – the rest of us might not fare much better. How learned are you, or any of us, about the issues that are so hotly debated today – immigration, education, the Federal budgets and deficits, crime, housing, taxes, the electoral college, term limits, human rights, the right to life, and more. The greatest obstacle to discovery – to knowing about those things, is not ignorance – it is the illusion of knowledge. We think we know. Because that’s what we read and watch. But be honest – how much do you really know? That responsibility is on everyone – to learn all they can about these issues so that there’s an informed discussion and decision-making process at the polls and at the dinner tables. Doesn’t matter which side of any debate you’re on – if you know the real facts there can be real honest discussions. Based on facts, not just emotions. If we each tackled that personal responsibility, think how much more we’d get out of our government. Out of our communities. Out of ourselves. Make it a priority to dig through the noise and clutter to learn what you need to know today.
Daniel J. Boorstin (1914 – 2004): American historian at the University of Chicago who was appointed the twelfth Librarian of the United States Congress in 1975 and served until 1987.
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