12/28/01
Dear friends, American Memory Fellows, and colleagues:
For me, as I suspect it may have been for many of you, this holiday
season has crept up on me and almost slid right by. From the four summer
institutes (yes, we really did do that....) to the busy fall conference season,
the continual growth of the Learning Page, and a myriad of new projects since
then, we have much to crow about. When we are in the midst of it all, we
sometimes don’t realize how much this means in the aggregate. But, an
uninterrupted half-hour on the Learning Page will reveal a growing presence of
the Library of Congress in the world of education and a growing body of
educational materials that support primary sources in the classroom. I know
Library staff will join me in saying “thank you” to many of you who helped us
make this happen. Yet, our work is not done.
Some of you may know that the functions of the National Digital Library
are now being integrated into the standing divisions of the Library of
Congress. This offers the Library a wonderful opportunity to consolidate its
several educational outreach initiatives in a way that makes sense within the
new organization. So, look for your continuing involvement in the Library’s
outreach activities and new, more, better things from the Learning Page and
other Library initiatives. This organizational change is exciting and will
move the Library firmly into the digital future.
This change also finds me at a natural resting place. Having just
celebrated 20 years at the Library of Congress, I have a compelling need to do
something different. Thus, I have decided to retire from the Library of
Congress effective January 1st. I am excited about the opportunity to
rejuvenate myself, to spend more time with family and friends, and to establish
a different cadence to my life. Yet, I look back at my years at the Library
with fondness, knowing that the work I have done here has changed me in ways I
am just now beginning to understand. I feel very lucky to have had this
experience.
With the unimaginable horror that has been inflicted upon us since
mid-September, what remains uplifting is the human spirit and the fellowship we
share from our work and our personal lives. After the first of the year, you
can reach me at my home (202/244-6710) or by email ( [log in to unmask]). I
hope we can stay in touch.
With best wishes for a peaceful new year....
Susan Veccia
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