UA Libraries Ceremony to Celebrate U.S. Library of Congress Bicentennial

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — University of Alabama Libraries will celebrate the unveiling of a stamp commemorating the bicentennial of the Library of Congress in a ceremony on Monday, May 15, at 10 a.m., on the steps of UA’s Gorgas Library.

The event, also jointly sponsored by Shelton State Community College, Stillman College and the Tuscaloosa Public Library, is free and open to the public.

The ceremony at UA is part of a nationwide celebration commemorating the 200-year history of the Library of Congress. A stamp issued by the United States Postal Service will officially be made available for public sale during the issuance ceremony, as will a specially-designed cancellation mark and envelope.

“This special ceremony serves a number of purposes of which we are proud to be a part,” said Margaret Wilson, coordinator of the ceremony planning committee. “We are celebrating the 200-year history of the nation’s premiere library, while bringing our own community libraries together for the event. Also, for those individuals who are stamp collectors or would simply like the opportunity to celebrate the history of the Library of Congress with the stamp and cancellation mark, this opportunity should not be missed.”

The Library of Congress celebrated its 200th birthday in Washington, D.C., on April 24th, issuing the first-day-of-issue stamps. Celebrations across the nation, similar to UA’s, will take place through May 31. These celebrations will highlight the commemorative stamp on specially designed envelopes with a local postal cancellation mark. The stamp features the interior dome of the library’s Main Reading Room.

Founded April 24, 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and the world’s largest library. It preserves a collection of 119 million items. In addition to its primary mission of serving the research needs of the US Congress, the Library serves millions through its popular Web site and in its 22 reading rooms on Capitol Hill.

For more information on the event or the special stamp, contact Margaret Wilson at 205/348-1416.