The U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) and Sister Cities International (SCI) have embarked on a major initiative, Sister Libraries: A White House Millennium Project. Our goal is for public and school libraries in the United States to pair with others worldwide, focusing initially on programs specifically planned for children and teenagers.
Public and school libraries are essential to democratic ideas and freedom of expression. Democratic citizenship is both learned and disseminated by communication with other nations and other people. The dissemination of democratic principles depends upon free and unlimited access to thought, knowledge, information and culture. Libraries are local gateways to knowledge, fostering conditions for lifelong learning and cultural development for all, thus strengthening our diverse communities.
Libraries can contribute to the work of peace. Through Sister Libraries partnerships the young of today, the leaders of tomorrow, will expand their capacity to understand other peoples, an essential requirement for peaceful coexistence in our global world. Participation will enable young people to appreciate more fully their own place in and impact on the world of today and tomorrow.
NCLIS and SCI invite libraries through Sister Libraries participation to create a mosaic of opportunities for young people around the world to communicate with and learn about each other's lives and cultures. There is no "best" model for partnership. NCLIS and SCI are interested in diverse models, replicable in many localities. The goal is to broaden the education of our young and to strengthen all libraries by facilitating cultural exchanges.
For additional information, contact NCLIS by e-mail at SisterLibraries@nclis.gov, by telephone at 202/606-9200 or by fax at 202/606-9203.
U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science
1110 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 820
Washington, DC 20005
www.nclis.gov