PRINTER'S NO. 3428
No. 465 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY CURRY, ROSS, ARMSTRONG, BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI,
BELFANTI, BENNINGHOFF, CALTAGIRONE, DERMODY, DeWEESE,
DONATUCCI, D. EVANS, DALEY, MANDERINO, COY, FREEMAN, GRUCELA,
HARHAI, LAUGHLIN, LEVDANSKY, LEDERER, WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD,
READSHAW, WASHINGTON, GEORGE, KAISER, PETRARCA, MICOZZIE,
STABACK, TRICH, RUBLEY, HORSEY, ROBINSON, YUDICHAK, FRANKEL,
KELLER, PALLONE, MELIO, SOLOBAY, STURLA, SAMUELSON, WATERS,
ALLEN, M. BAKER, BROWNE, CAPPELLI, L. I. COHEN, CORRIGAN,
PIPPY, NAILOR, ZUG, DALLY, FAIRCHILD, MACKERETH, GEIST,
S. MILLER, HESS, FORCIER, SCHULER, SEMMEL, J. EVANS, FICHTER,
COSTA, MANN, SATHER, CRUZ, HASAY, McGEEHAN, HUTCHINSON,
McNAUGHTON, T. STEVENSON, WANSACZ, SURRA, STEELMAN, TIGUE,
G. WRIGHT, JAMES, KIRKLAND, MUNDY, STERN, SHANER, THOMAS,
SANTONI, MARKOSEK, ARGALL, BARD, BUNT, CLYMER, COLAFELLA,
CREIGHTON, PICKETT, B. SMITH, WATSON, FLEAGLE, E. Z. TAYLOR,
LEWIS, HERMAN, MARSICO AND FLICK, MARCH 14, 2002
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
MARCH 14, 2002
A RESOLUTION
1 Recognizing the week of April 14 through 20, 2002, as "National
2 Library Week" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, Our nation's libraries are built upon and greatly
4 contribute to the cultural and educational riches of our
5 communities, providing accessible resources that inform,
6 entertain and enrich us; and
7 WHEREAS, Americans go to school, public and academic
8 libraries more than twice as often as they go to the movies; and
9 WHEREAS, Students visit school library media centers almost
10 1.5 billion times during the school year; and
1 WHEREAS, A 1998 Gallup poll conducted for the American
2 Library Association found that nearly all respondents expect
3 libraries to be needed in the future despite the increased
4 availability of information via computer; and
5 WHEREAS, Libraries are essential for the intellectual growth
6 and development of children and adults alike, making possible a
7 lifetime of learning and enjoyment; and
8 WHEREAS, Libraries are centers of culture, learning and the
9 written word where children and adults pursue a lifelong
10 education and connect to information resources from around the
11 world; and
12 WHEREAS, Currently 95% of public libraries provide public
13 access to the Internet, which make those libraries the
14 preeminent source of Internet access for people without
15 computers at home, school or work; and
16 WHEREAS, We celebrate libraries as positive proof that our
17 freedom to explore the whole world of ideas and information is
18 alive and well; and
19 WHEREAS, Libraries throughout this Commonwealth and the
20 United States continue to champion key educational and cultural
21 action areas: 21st century literacy, diversity, education and
22 continuous learning, equity of access and intellectual freedom;
23 and
24 WHEREAS, We owe a considerable debt of gratitude to those who
25 make our libraries work; and
26 WHEREAS, The famous Pennsylvania industrialist and
27 philanthropist Andrew Carnegie once noted, "There is not such a
28 cradle of democracy upon the earth as the Free Public Library,
29 this republic of letters, whether neither rank, office, nor
30 wealth receives the slightest consideration"; and
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1 WHEREAS, The National Library Association is launching a
2 partnership, Put it in Writing @ Your Library, in accord with
3 Woman's Day Magazine and Rediscover America @ Your Library, a
4 national advocacy and mobilization effort to convince the public
5 and policy makers that libraries are critical to our democracy;
6 and
7 WHEREAS, Libraries and library supporters nationwide are
8 planning events, including the kickoff of the Campaign for
9 America's Libraries, a five-year plan to educate people about
10 the value of libraries and librarians in the 21st century, and
11 celebrating "National Library Week" with this year's theme of "@
12 your library"; therefore be it
13 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
14 week of April 14 through 20, 2002, as "National Library Week" in
15 Pennsylvania and encourage all residents of this Commonwealth to
16 explore the wide variety of cultural and educational riches
17 libraries hold.
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