For Immediate Release
Office of Mrs. Bush
June 4, 2002
Closing Remarks by Mrs. Bush at the White House Conference on School Libraries
As delivered.
Thank you, Chris DeVita. I also want to thank all of our speakers
and presenters. You were just great. Thank you for informing us,
inspiring us, and entertaining us.
A love of books — of holding a book, turning its pages, looking at
its pictures, and living its fascinating stories goes hand-in-hand
with a love of learning. And every child in America should have access
to a well-stocked school or community library.
Community and school library budgets, which are limited to begin
with, are being stretched to their limits to accommodate printed
material, electronic material, and computer equipment. Librarians must
struggle to balance the budget and the needs of their communities.
I am excited to announce that the Laura Bush Foundation for
America's Libraries, which is a part of the Community Foundation for the
National Capital Region, will help bring books to inner-city, rural,
school and community libraries.
Bill Marriott will serve as chairman of the Foundation's leadership
council, and John Bryan will serve as vice-chairman.
Pam Willeford has agreed to serve as executive director and
chairwoman of the advisory committee. The committee will develop the
guidelines for grant applications.
The Foundation is off to a great start. So far gifts have topped $5
million dollars. That says a lot about our commitment to libraries and
the children they serve.
Several donors have made substantial contributions toward endowing
the Foundation, including Dorothy Yao, Bill Marriott and Ruth
Altschuler.
And very generous gifts have been made by Barbara Bush, Mr. and
Mrs. Marshall B. Payne, Mr. and Mrs. Craig Stapleton, Mr. Joseph C.
Canizaro and Dr. Dennis S. O'Leary. Thank you all.
Your support means that school libraries can extend their
collections, from fact and fiction to periodicals and prize-winning
books. It means that a teacher can use books from a selection of
multi-lingual literature. It means that a child can pick up a book --
and visit places and learn about people he might not have known
existed.
What a pleasure it has been — the fulfillment of a dream, in fact —
to meet with you today and to announce the leadership and first major
gifts for the Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries. An
investment in libraries is an investment in our children's future. Thank
you for coming.
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