Laura Bush Addresses Librarian Shortage
at Topeka PL Dedication
First Lady Laura Bush, during an opening gala January 9 for a new Topeka and Shawnee County (Kan.) Public Library building, announced a $10-million national initiative to recruit and train library professionals. The initiative, to be included in President Bush’s proposed 2003 budget, will be managed by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
“To help recruit a new generation of librarians,” Mrs. Bush remarked, “this initiative will provide scholarships to graduate students in library and information science, support distance-learning technology for training programs in underserved areas, and recruit librarians with diverse language skills.”
“I applaud the administration’s commitment to America’s public libraries and I’m proud of the president’s support of librarians,” she added. “He likes to joke about that. He says he’s so fond of librarians that he married one.”
The announcement was made at a reception held by the library to thank donors who gave more than $4.25 million to provide computers, art exhibits, new services, and programs for the new building, the Topeka Capital-Journal reported January 9.
Earlier in the day, the First Lady participated in the dedication of the library’s youth-services area by reading Picky Mrs. Pickle by Kansas author and illustrator Christine Schneider to local schoolchildren.
Afterwards, she told reporters that the $26-billion education bill signed by the president January 8 would reinforce her “Ready to Read, Ready to Learn” early-childhood learning initiative. “One thing that is in the education bill is money for our states to use to make sure that little children—preschool children and kindergarten children—get a really good start for learning to read,” she said.
Posted January 14, 2002.
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