LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
101 Independence Avenue SE
Washington DC 20540
Phone: (202) 707-2905
Fax: (202) 707-9199
Email: pao@loc.gov
February 2, 2007
LAW LIBRARY OF CONGRESS TO CELEBRATE 175TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2007
In celebration of its 175 years of service to Congress and the nation,
the Law Library of Congress is launching a yearlong series of events
designed to celebrate its achievements and showcase its unparalleled
resources.
The celebration began with a special ceremony held at the Library of
Congress on Jan. 18. The American Bar Association presented the Law
Library with a resolution recognizing this historic milestone, and the
American Association of Law Libraries presented the Law Library with a
commemorative plaque.
The Law Library
has created both a film and speaker series to celebrate
this anniversary year. Sponsored jointly with Tufts University, the
legal film series began with a screening of 'Mario's Story' on Jan. 31.
Other screenings include 'Sisters in Law' on April 4 and 'Twelve Angry
Men' on July 11. All films will be shown at 6 p.m. in the Pickford
Theater, located on the third floor of the Library's James Madison
Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. With a
theme of 'National Security and the Rule of Law,' the speaker series
will
feature renowned speakers from Congress, academia and the media.
The
speaker series will be held at 6 p.m. on March 29, June 28, Sept. 20
and Dec. 13 in the Whittall Pavilion of the Library's Thomas Jefferson
Building, 10 First Street S.E., Washington, D.C. The films and lectures
are free and open to the public.
The anniversary will be celebrated at the Global Legal Information
Network Foundation's inaugural gala on May 9 at the Library. The
featured speaker will be former United States Supreme Court Justice
Sandra Day O'Connor.
In cooperation with the Burton Foundation, the Law Library in its
anniversary year has created the Law Library of Congress Global Award
to recognize legal writing that conveys a global message. The inaugural
award will be presented at the Burton Awards dinner on June 4 at the
Library. The featured speaker will be broadcast journalist Bob
Schieffer.
The 175th anniversary gala will be held in the Great Hall of the
Library's Thomas Jefferson Building on July 14, the date that President
Andrew Jackson signed the bill authorizing the creation of the Law
Library of Congress. This event will be attended by members of Congress
and feature an internationally renowned speaker.
On Oct. 18, the Law Library of Congress will host a staff reunion to
honor the individuals who have contributed their time and talents to
the institution.
The Friends of the Law Library of Congress, a nonprofit organization
created to support the Law Library in promoting a better understanding
of the law, will conclude the anniversary celebration with the revival
of the Wickersham Award Dinner on Dec. 6 at the Library. The event will
honor an individual for active participation in and contributions to
the legal profession.
Founded in 1832, the Law Library of Congress is the de facto national
law library. Its mission is to provide research and legal information
to the U.S. Congress, U.S. federal courts and executive branch
agencies, and to provide reference service to the public. To accomplish
this mission, the Law Library has amassed the world's largest
collection of law books and other legal resources from all countries,
now comprising more than 2.5 million items. The Law Library is playing
a leadership role in the creation of a Global Legal Information
Network, a consortium of 46 government agencies and international
institutions that contributes and shares global legal resources online.
For more information, visit the Law Library's Web site at www.loc.gov/law