WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 1 00:00:00.340 --> 00:00:02.423 (upbeat music) 2 00:00:04.860 --> 00:00:05.693 - Hi everybody. 3 00:00:05.693 --> 00:00:08.130 I'm Soledad O'brien, and it is my honor 4 00:00:08.130 --> 00:00:11.610 to congratulate the six winners of the 2022 5 00:00:11.610 --> 00:00:15.240 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. 6 00:00:15.240 --> 00:00:18.990 Libraries and museums stand the test of time, 7 00:00:18.990 --> 00:00:21.480 and as you'll learn today from the stories 8 00:00:21.480 --> 00:00:23.490 of this year's metal recipients, 9 00:00:23.490 --> 00:00:27.660 one of which was founded nearly three centuries ago, 10 00:00:27.660 --> 00:00:31.470 these institutions are the lifeblood of their communities. 11 00:00:31.470 --> 00:00:36.000 They observe and engage, they witness, and they respond. 12 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:39.300 Across our lifespans, libraries and museums 13 00:00:39.300 --> 00:00:42.510 are impactful teachers, helping us see ourselves 14 00:00:42.510 --> 00:00:45.150 and the world around us in new ways, 15 00:00:45.150 --> 00:00:47.730 and our lives are richer, academically, 16 00:00:47.730 --> 00:00:49.680 socially, and culturally, 17 00:00:49.680 --> 00:00:52.560 not just because of what's inside their walls, 18 00:00:52.560 --> 00:00:56.610 but what we take away from our interactions and visits 19 00:00:56.610 --> 00:00:58.260 long after we leave. 20 00:00:58.260 --> 00:01:00.840 So I hope that you'll join me in celebrating 21 00:01:00.840 --> 00:01:03.420 the three libraries and three museums 22 00:01:03.420 --> 00:01:08.420 that are the 2022 IMLS National Medals recipients. 23 00:01:09.060 --> 00:01:12.603 Congratulations to each one of you. Thank you. 24 00:01:45.768 --> 00:01:47.310 - Well, welcome to what is in essence 25 00:01:47.310 --> 00:01:50.610 the reestablishment of the IMLS National Medals 26 00:01:50.610 --> 00:01:52.830 for Museum and Library Service. 27 00:01:52.830 --> 00:01:54.060 It's been over three years, 28 00:01:54.060 --> 00:01:57.000 long, brutal years for all of us, 29 00:01:57.000 --> 00:02:00.120 and we are so glad, so happy to see you, 30 00:02:00.120 --> 00:02:01.800 to be here with you to celebrate 31 00:02:01.800 --> 00:02:04.200 what you have done for your communities, 32 00:02:04.200 --> 00:02:06.720 and indeed for our country. 33 00:02:06.720 --> 00:02:09.600 We are met in a historic house, Anderson House, 34 00:02:09.600 --> 00:02:11.760 the home of the order of the Cincinnati, 35 00:02:11.760 --> 00:02:13.770 a fraternal, hereditary, 36 00:02:13.770 --> 00:02:16.350 hereditary through the first born male, 37 00:02:16.350 --> 00:02:18.330 this may sound familiar to some of you 38 00:02:18.330 --> 00:02:21.540 who know some of our history, patriotic society, 39 00:02:21.540 --> 00:02:24.810 our first patriotic society, devoted to the remembrance 40 00:02:24.810 --> 00:02:26.490 of the American Revolution 41 00:02:26.490 --> 00:02:29.010 and its exalted rights and liberties. 42 00:02:29.010 --> 00:02:32.133 As we face in our country today, as you all do, 43 00:02:33.210 --> 00:02:35.730 and you are all doing it and doing it, 44 00:02:35.730 --> 00:02:39.030 I think brilliantly and in the right ways, 45 00:02:39.030 --> 00:02:43.500 we'll get into a polarized nation today. 46 00:02:43.500 --> 00:02:47.460 Very great difficulties, people trying to ban books, 47 00:02:47.460 --> 00:02:51.333 people assaulting statues and paintings. 48 00:02:53.490 --> 00:02:56.400 This might have seemed familiar to the founding generation. 49 00:02:56.400 --> 00:02:59.550 They were at it pretty hard and heavy too, 50 00:02:59.550 --> 00:03:03.540 in many ways, as was Lincoln's generation of course. 51 00:03:03.540 --> 00:03:05.280 We did fight a civil war once, 52 00:03:05.280 --> 00:03:06.720 which is probably a little worse 53 00:03:06.720 --> 00:03:08.170 than what we're facing today. 54 00:03:09.060 --> 00:03:11.220 So we might take solace in that, 55 00:03:11.220 --> 00:03:13.080 or maybe we don't take solace in that. 56 00:03:13.080 --> 00:03:15.543 Maybe we think it's going in that direction, 57 00:03:16.530 --> 00:03:20.820 but under the themes of the rights and obligation 58 00:03:20.820 --> 00:03:23.190 of citizenship, which is certainly a theme 59 00:03:23.190 --> 00:03:28.190 that we are going to have as we walk forward at the IMLS, 60 00:03:29.730 --> 00:03:32.730 and the need for an enlightened and informed citizenry, 61 00:03:32.730 --> 00:03:36.000 which the founders universally wanted, expected, 62 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:39.930 and thought was the only ultimate salvation of the Republic, 63 00:03:39.930 --> 00:03:42.930 I want to explore what we as libraries and museums, 64 00:03:42.930 --> 00:03:47.130 as the cultural leadership of this country can do, 65 00:03:47.130 --> 00:03:48.990 and in the case of our medalists, 66 00:03:48.990 --> 00:03:51.873 are doing, have done for our country. 67 00:03:53.127 --> 00:03:55.680 The IMLS is a part of America250, 68 00:03:55.680 --> 00:03:57.780 the commission established by Congress 69 00:03:57.780 --> 00:04:00.390 to commemorate the 250th anniversary 70 00:04:00.390 --> 00:04:02.820 of the Declaration of Independence. 71 00:04:02.820 --> 00:04:05.400 We want to begin thinking about the conversations 72 00:04:05.400 --> 00:04:08.190 we can have in our libraries and museums 73 00:04:08.190 --> 00:04:11.400 that can help us preserve the spirit of Liberty 74 00:04:11.400 --> 00:04:13.808 in our republican experiment, 75 00:04:13.808 --> 00:04:17.040 and provide for new and reinvigorated pathways 76 00:04:17.040 --> 00:04:19.140 that we can take together, 77 00:04:19.140 --> 00:04:20.910 together with our communities, 78 00:04:20.910 --> 00:04:23.550 together with everyone in our communities, 79 00:04:23.550 --> 00:04:25.560 in the pursuit of happiness. 80 00:04:25.560 --> 00:04:28.290 But I wanna leap forward now to the past two years 81 00:04:28.290 --> 00:04:31.770 to talk about our place in the arc of justice, 82 00:04:31.770 --> 00:04:36.247 what we are almost religiously calling equity today, 83 00:04:38.250 --> 00:04:43.250 religiously, relentlessly, and not unwelcome for all that. 84 00:04:43.290 --> 00:04:46.590 If we get it right, equity is about justice. 85 00:04:46.590 --> 00:04:48.600 It's about fairness. 86 00:04:48.600 --> 00:04:52.980 Justice and fairness are hard to define and harder to do. 87 00:04:52.980 --> 00:04:57.420 The library is a center of response in the pandemic. 88 00:04:57.420 --> 00:05:00.600 In Wilmington, of course, the statewide literacy focus, 89 00:05:00.600 --> 00:05:04.023 and they pioneered the Barbershop Library. 90 00:05:05.490 --> 00:05:10.170 Throughout the library world, libraries in, 91 00:05:10.170 --> 00:05:13.710 popup libraries in places like laundromats and barber shops 92 00:05:13.710 --> 00:05:15.423 and buses and street corners, 93 00:05:16.350 --> 00:05:20.250 the return of book mobiles, technologically enabled, 94 00:05:20.250 --> 00:05:24.090 has been a revolution in outreach to the people 95 00:05:24.090 --> 00:05:27.693 who need that outreach, to the people who need libraries. 96 00:05:29.040 --> 00:05:34.040 And what's happened is Tocqueville saw this about Americans, 97 00:05:34.380 --> 00:05:36.960 and he saw this about Americans in the 1830s, 98 00:05:36.960 --> 00:05:41.310 when we were pretty disturbingly polarized at that time. 99 00:05:41.310 --> 00:05:44.910 He said that we were good at meeting needs and problems 100 00:05:44.910 --> 00:05:47.790 on the ground by creating local associations 101 00:05:47.790 --> 00:05:50.340 around those problems, with local groups, 102 00:05:50.340 --> 00:05:53.850 neighborhood groups, the social justice groups if you will, 103 00:05:53.850 --> 00:05:56.430 of the 1830s, solidarity groups, 104 00:05:56.430 --> 00:05:59.310 that we knew how to respond at the local level, 105 00:05:59.310 --> 00:06:01.680 because we trusted each other. 106 00:06:01.680 --> 00:06:04.530 And that's what happened in the later days of the pandemic. 107 00:06:04.530 --> 00:06:07.650 It wasn't the mandates to do something at the federal level 108 00:06:07.650 --> 00:06:11.070 or the mandates not to do something at the state level, 109 00:06:11.070 --> 00:06:14.370 but our sense of obligation and duty kicked in. 110 00:06:14.370 --> 00:06:17.190 Madison also talks about that, James Madison. 111 00:06:17.190 --> 00:06:21.780 His sense in parts of "The Federalist," 112 00:06:21.780 --> 00:06:25.560 in his notes on government, his essays in the 1790s, 113 00:06:25.560 --> 00:06:28.890 talks about mutual obligation, about reciprocity, 114 00:06:28.890 --> 00:06:31.470 about the character of an informed citizenry, 115 00:06:31.470 --> 00:06:35.370 but even today, we might not be embarrassed 116 00:06:35.370 --> 00:06:39.060 to call a virtuous and enlightened citizenry, 117 00:06:39.060 --> 00:06:42.390 that it is a necessity to maintain our republic, 118 00:06:42.390 --> 00:06:45.300 to be healthy in every sense of the word. 119 00:06:45.300 --> 00:06:48.360 In that sense, folks like the Amistad Library 120 00:06:48.360 --> 00:06:49.650 must be mentioned. 121 00:06:49.650 --> 00:06:51.870 Its civil rights collection is there 122 00:06:51.870 --> 00:06:55.530 for the most important of American communities, 123 00:06:55.530 --> 00:06:57.360 the community of enlightened citizens, 124 00:06:57.360 --> 00:07:02.137 those who realize in dark times that freedom, 125 00:07:03.630 --> 00:07:08.130 in Danielle Allen words, must be taken, earned, 126 00:07:08.130 --> 00:07:10.830 in the sense of the freedom writers, 127 00:07:10.830 --> 00:07:12.900 of John Lewis standing on the Pettus Bridge 128 00:07:12.900 --> 00:07:16.110 or Rosa Parks sitting on the Montgomery bus. 129 00:07:16.110 --> 00:07:17.820 They took their freedom, 130 00:07:17.820 --> 00:07:20.100 earning it for all the rest of us, 131 00:07:20.100 --> 00:07:23.820 and cashing just one part of the promissory note, 132 00:07:23.820 --> 00:07:26.280 the promissory notes of the constitution 133 00:07:26.280 --> 00:07:28.110 and the declaration. 134 00:07:28.110 --> 00:07:32.190 Simone Weil, who was a French philosopher, 135 00:07:32.190 --> 00:07:34.710 was asked by General de Gaulle to write the program 136 00:07:34.710 --> 00:07:37.020 for the French resistance should it take power 137 00:07:37.020 --> 00:07:39.303 after the end of the Second World War, 138 00:07:40.230 --> 00:07:42.570 and the first sentence of "The Need for Roots," 139 00:07:42.570 --> 00:07:46.080 the English translation of her program 140 00:07:46.080 --> 00:07:47.700 for the French resistance, 141 00:07:47.700 --> 00:07:49.590 her first sentence is I believe 142 00:07:49.590 --> 00:07:51.480 the most important philosophical sentence 143 00:07:51.480 --> 00:07:54.930 of 20th century, important for our century as well, 144 00:07:54.930 --> 00:07:56.700 maybe more important for us. 145 00:07:56.700 --> 00:08:01.080 Her first sentence was, "Obligations precede rights." 146 00:08:01.080 --> 00:08:03.120 The Oakland Museum and the Burke museum, 147 00:08:03.120 --> 00:08:04.860 Asheville Museum, have done much 148 00:08:04.860 --> 00:08:07.350 in their very different ways to give back 149 00:08:07.350 --> 00:08:09.930 to their communities, very different communities 150 00:08:09.930 --> 00:08:12.270 in different ways, a sense of ownership 151 00:08:12.270 --> 00:08:16.680 in the natural world, our landscape, our art, 152 00:08:16.680 --> 00:08:19.440 the art made in and from the community, 153 00:08:19.440 --> 00:08:23.040 the design of life that makes us at once 154 00:08:23.040 --> 00:08:28.040 the creatures of nature and the makers of our environment, 155 00:08:28.200 --> 00:08:32.160 and as Danielle Allen says, seeing the beauty, 156 00:08:32.160 --> 00:08:36.780 the beauty in our flawed selves, in our flawed history, 157 00:08:36.780 --> 00:08:41.700 that is equally true and equally beautiful for all of us 158 00:08:41.700 --> 00:08:46.023 is our most important attribute as human beings. 159 00:08:47.100 --> 00:08:49.260 Madison and Jefferson and Tocqueville saw 160 00:08:49.260 --> 00:08:52.590 that in a democratic republic, in a democracy, 161 00:08:52.590 --> 00:08:57.590 public opinion must always be the most powerful force. 162 00:08:57.870 --> 00:09:01.410 We know that today, and it's a dark thing, 163 00:09:01.410 --> 00:09:03.663 what our public opinion can become. 164 00:09:05.220 --> 00:09:08.553 To preserve the republic dedicated to freedom and quality, 165 00:09:09.420 --> 00:09:12.491 in our case it must become an informed 166 00:09:12.491 --> 00:09:14.263 and enlightened public opinion. 167 00:09:14.263 --> 00:09:16.980 To do that we must continue to learn from each other 168 00:09:16.980 --> 00:09:20.370 as we learn from the riches of our libraries and museums. 169 00:09:20.370 --> 00:09:22.020 The power of what we do, 170 00:09:22.020 --> 00:09:24.453 what we do in our cultural institutions, 171 00:09:25.410 --> 00:09:28.500 what Professor Allen writes about so eloquently, 172 00:09:28.500 --> 00:09:33.500 is to use all of our power 173 00:09:33.660 --> 00:09:37.140 driven by a keyword for her, 174 00:09:37.140 --> 00:09:39.517 and as I said, she'd wrote an article called 175 00:09:39.517 --> 00:09:42.150 "Why Love the Constitution?," 176 00:09:42.150 --> 00:09:44.550 Love is that keyword, 177 00:09:44.550 --> 00:09:46.290 and I'd like to end with this story. 178 00:09:46.290 --> 00:09:48.660 A few of you have heard this, 179 00:09:48.660 --> 00:09:51.030 but it's an important one to me 180 00:09:51.030 --> 00:09:53.583 from my Kansas City Public Library life. 181 00:09:54.528 --> 00:09:56.580 There was a man named Alvin Sykes who was a musician 182 00:09:56.580 --> 00:09:58.590 who grew up in public housing 183 00:09:58.590 --> 00:10:00.180 with only an eighth grade education, 184 00:10:00.180 --> 00:10:02.850 and as he liked to say, an education 185 00:10:02.850 --> 00:10:04.890 in the public library after that, 186 00:10:04.890 --> 00:10:07.080 the Kansas City, Kansas and the Kansas City, Missouri 187 00:10:07.080 --> 00:10:09.660 public libraries, friend of his was killed 188 00:10:09.660 --> 00:10:13.920 in what was clearly a biased killing at Liberty Memorial, 189 00:10:13.920 --> 00:10:16.263 Liberty Memorial, our World War I Memorial, 190 00:10:18.030 --> 00:10:20.010 and he was acquitted. 191 00:10:20.010 --> 00:10:23.070 The perpetrator was acquitted by the jury, 192 00:10:23.070 --> 00:10:24.183 an all white jury. 193 00:10:25.830 --> 00:10:28.140 Alvin had heard about the civil rights laws 194 00:10:28.140 --> 00:10:29.880 being used in cases like this. 195 00:10:29.880 --> 00:10:32.820 In fact, they've had only been used once up to that point, 196 00:10:32.820 --> 00:10:34.560 and he went to the Kansas City Public Library 197 00:10:34.560 --> 00:10:36.177 and he asked a reference librarian about that, 198 00:10:36.177 --> 00:10:38.520 and they sat down with the U.S. Civil Code 199 00:10:38.520 --> 00:10:42.330 and found the right place, and he spent a lot of time 200 00:10:42.330 --> 00:10:44.790 talking to local prosecutors, federal prosecutors, 201 00:10:44.790 --> 00:10:47.160 and he finally got an assistant attorney general 202 00:10:47.160 --> 00:10:49.833 in Washington named Anthony Scola, 203 00:10:52.260 --> 00:10:55.710 who told him that he was right, and they prosecuted the guy 204 00:10:55.710 --> 00:10:56.790 and put him away. 205 00:10:56.790 --> 00:10:59.040 He's still in jail. That was in the eighties. 206 00:11:00.720 --> 00:11:03.690 Alvin then became instrumental in solving 207 00:11:03.690 --> 00:11:06.630 or at least bringing to court the cold cases 208 00:11:06.630 --> 00:11:10.620 in the civil rights universe, including a close relationship 209 00:11:10.620 --> 00:11:13.230 with Emmett Till's family, with his cousin Simeon Wright, 210 00:11:13.230 --> 00:11:16.653 who spoke for us in the Kansas City Public Library, 211 00:11:17.730 --> 00:11:21.423 and he became the key when the Till Bill, as it was known, 212 00:11:22.260 --> 00:11:25.290 which established the cold case section 213 00:11:25.290 --> 00:11:27.690 and civil rights division of justice department, 214 00:11:27.690 --> 00:11:28.830 was in Congress, 215 00:11:28.830 --> 00:11:31.350 he became the key person in passing that bill, 216 00:11:31.350 --> 00:11:33.900 and the key moment was when he sat in the office 217 00:11:33.900 --> 00:11:36.960 of the most conservative United States senator, 218 00:11:36.960 --> 00:11:39.580 Senator Coburn, Tom Coburn, who by the way 219 00:11:39.580 --> 00:11:42.930 was a friend of the IMLS, Tom Coburn's office, 220 00:11:42.930 --> 00:11:45.390 and Tom Coburn wouldn't approve the bill, 221 00:11:45.390 --> 00:11:48.030 not because of anything to do with race or civil rights, 222 00:11:48.030 --> 00:11:50.040 but because it wasn't funded, 223 00:11:50.040 --> 00:11:52.200 and that was a moment when some people in Congress 224 00:11:52.200 --> 00:11:53.550 were taking that seriously, 225 00:11:55.860 --> 00:11:56.910 that's a little joke, 226 00:11:58.680 --> 00:12:02.070 and Alvin just sat in Tom Coburn's office, 227 00:12:02.070 --> 00:12:04.920 until finally Senator Coburn said well I've got three weeks, 228 00:12:04.920 --> 00:12:06.307 he did this, and finally Senator Coburn came out 229 00:12:06.307 --> 00:12:08.850 and said, come on in, let's talk, 230 00:12:08.850 --> 00:12:12.060 and Alvin convinced Tom Coburn to waive his rule 231 00:12:12.060 --> 00:12:13.773 and pass the legislation. 232 00:12:15.420 --> 00:12:19.320 Probably the most interesting moment in my career 233 00:12:19.320 --> 00:12:21.930 was when I had a conversation with Alvin Sykes 234 00:12:21.930 --> 00:12:25.320 and Tom Coburn before 300 people in the library, 235 00:12:25.320 --> 00:12:29.610 and the importance of that was, here's Alvin Sykes, 236 00:12:29.610 --> 00:12:34.610 who was a Buddhist social justice lawyer, a jazz musician, 237 00:12:34.710 --> 00:12:38.043 he was converted to Buddhism by Herbie Hancock, 238 00:12:39.390 --> 00:12:41.190 sitting down with Tom Coburn, 239 00:12:41.190 --> 00:12:43.590 the most conservative man in the United States Senate 240 00:12:43.590 --> 00:12:48.590 at the time, who was a deeply believing Christian, a doctor, 241 00:12:52.140 --> 00:12:54.750 and the conversation they had, there was one key word 242 00:12:54.750 --> 00:12:57.723 in that conversation that recurred, and it was love, 243 00:13:01.710 --> 00:13:05.310 and Tom Coburn said about Alvin that he knew, 244 00:13:05.310 --> 00:13:07.953 because Alvin presented love, 245 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:12.720 because he came to literally, he said, love Alvin, 246 00:13:12.720 --> 00:13:14.550 Alvin said the same thing about him, 247 00:13:14.550 --> 00:13:17.910 that he understood that everything Alvin did, 248 00:13:17.910 --> 00:13:20.793 every act in Alvin's life, was pure. 249 00:13:22.680 --> 00:13:25.140 In our deeply skeptical world, 250 00:13:25.140 --> 00:13:29.103 there is room and need for what the 12 of you, 251 00:13:30.210 --> 00:13:35.210 our medalists, have, there is need, 252 00:13:35.430 --> 00:13:38.970 sorry, there's room for, and more importantly need for, 253 00:13:38.970 --> 00:13:41.553 what you do more than ever. 254 00:13:42.480 --> 00:13:45.180 I'm gonna call you the 12 disciples (audience laughs), 255 00:13:47.190 --> 00:13:49.290 because you do it for the best reasons, 256 00:13:49.290 --> 00:13:54.290 for the pure reasons, with faith and hope and love. 257 00:13:54.930 --> 00:13:55.763 Thank you. 258 00:13:57.304 --> 00:13:59.471 (upbeat music) 259 00:14:03.780 --> 00:14:05.130 - When you have a piece of history 260 00:14:05.130 --> 00:14:07.290 that bears the same name as yours, 261 00:14:07.290 --> 00:14:09.630 a lot can be expected of you. 262 00:14:09.630 --> 00:14:13.020 Let me tell you, the Amistad delivers. 263 00:14:13.020 --> 00:14:15.600 Part museum and part archive, 264 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:18.720 the center brings together a rich collection of art, 265 00:14:18.720 --> 00:14:21.330 culture, and our shared history, 266 00:14:21.330 --> 00:14:23.460 to tell stories of Louisiana 267 00:14:23.460 --> 00:14:27.000 and the African American experience through the centuries, 268 00:14:27.000 --> 00:14:31.050 each of them unique, beautiful, and remarkable. 269 00:14:31.050 --> 00:14:33.180 A key goal of the center's leadership 270 00:14:33.180 --> 00:14:35.670 is bringing these stories to the public, 271 00:14:35.670 --> 00:14:39.330 even to those who can't physically get to New Orleans. 272 00:14:39.330 --> 00:14:41.280 Their traveling exhibitions are designed 273 00:14:41.280 --> 00:14:44.280 to open eyes and open minds. 274 00:14:44.280 --> 00:14:46.950 Likewise, they have dedicated themselves 275 00:14:46.950 --> 00:14:50.460 to digitizing their artifacts, so that technology 276 00:14:50.460 --> 00:14:54.840 is the only key you need to explore Amistad. 277 00:14:54.840 --> 00:14:58.350 What I love about the center is that through their doors, 278 00:14:58.350 --> 00:15:00.693 you literally walk into history. 279 00:15:03.540 --> 00:15:05.640 Amistad is really a treasure for me 280 00:15:05.640 --> 00:15:07.440 because many of my stories are set 281 00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:09.750 in Louisiana or the South, 282 00:15:09.750 --> 00:15:14.670 and for the research that I need, I rely on the Amistad. 283 00:15:14.670 --> 00:15:18.030 It's usually my first place of contact. 284 00:15:18.030 --> 00:15:21.990 Many times, it's the personal papers that I find 285 00:15:21.990 --> 00:15:24.720 at the Amistad or some of their historical research, 286 00:15:24.720 --> 00:15:26.700 the archives that I find, 287 00:15:26.700 --> 00:15:29.580 help me because those materials 288 00:15:29.580 --> 00:15:32.730 are not in other archives or locations. 289 00:15:32.730 --> 00:15:35.220 Many times they're not in print, they're not published, 290 00:15:35.220 --> 00:15:39.360 so I can come here for interviews and for personal papers, 291 00:15:39.360 --> 00:15:41.250 like civil rights leaders, 292 00:15:41.250 --> 00:15:44.790 that really help me with the information that I need. 293 00:15:44.790 --> 00:15:48.570 Even if people cannot come to the location physically, 294 00:15:48.570 --> 00:15:50.700 a lot of information is online, 295 00:15:50.700 --> 00:15:53.280 and I'm thinking specifically about educators, 296 00:15:53.280 --> 00:15:58.280 because many times now traveling or going on field trips 297 00:15:59.550 --> 00:16:04.470 is cost prohibitive, but there's so many programs 298 00:16:04.470 --> 00:16:06.930 and advantages that are available to teachers 299 00:16:06.930 --> 00:16:10.140 and to classrooms digitally, 300 00:16:10.140 --> 00:16:12.930 and there's a wonderful program that the Amistad has, 301 00:16:12.930 --> 00:16:15.180 I think it's called Amistad on the go, 302 00:16:15.180 --> 00:16:18.900 that is so clever, so timely, 303 00:16:18.900 --> 00:16:21.150 and it's a great resource for teachers, 304 00:16:21.150 --> 00:16:23.883 so I just invite educators to check it out. 305 00:16:25.350 --> 00:16:27.690 - Hello, my name is Kim Boyle, 306 00:16:27.690 --> 00:16:29.880 and I'm the chairperson and president 307 00:16:29.880 --> 00:16:31.020 of the board of directors 308 00:16:31.020 --> 00:16:34.560 of the Amistad Research Center in New Orleans. 309 00:16:34.560 --> 00:16:37.590 On behalf of our phenomenal city of New Orleans 310 00:16:37.590 --> 00:16:39.240 and the state of Louisiana, 311 00:16:39.240 --> 00:16:43.680 Amistad is honored to accept a 2022 312 00:16:43.680 --> 00:16:47.460 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. 313 00:16:47.460 --> 00:16:50.670 Tracing its history to an 1841 314 00:16:50.670 --> 00:16:52.770 United States Supreme Court case 315 00:16:52.770 --> 00:16:55.590 involving the trans-Atlantic slave trade, 316 00:16:55.590 --> 00:16:59.820 Amistad is more than an archive and library about struggle. 317 00:16:59.820 --> 00:17:04.320 Amistad is a place where the stories and triumphs of leaders 318 00:17:04.320 --> 00:17:07.440 and everyday people from all walks of life 319 00:17:07.440 --> 00:17:10.170 continue to live in the public's mind. 320 00:17:10.170 --> 00:17:12.480 Through Amistad's efforts to provide access 321 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:16.140 to our collections, those from many years ago 322 00:17:16.140 --> 00:17:18.720 to those documenting today's world, 323 00:17:18.720 --> 00:17:22.260 as well as the educational programming, exhibitions, 324 00:17:22.260 --> 00:17:25.410 and partnerships that are born from those collections, 325 00:17:25.410 --> 00:17:28.380 Amistad is a community resource for scholars, 326 00:17:28.380 --> 00:17:33.380 educators, students, family historians, artists, and others. 327 00:17:33.690 --> 00:17:38.370 Our community continues to inspire us to open our archives 328 00:17:38.370 --> 00:17:42.390 to all who wish to learn about the fundamental underpinnings 329 00:17:42.390 --> 00:17:45.210 that make up our country's complex, 330 00:17:45.210 --> 00:17:49.110 rich, and beautiful ethnic tapestry. 331 00:17:49.110 --> 00:17:53.730 Now more than ever, Amistad's work is critically important. 332 00:17:53.730 --> 00:17:57.720 No matter the audience, Amistad's collections and programs 333 00:17:57.720 --> 00:18:01.440 have the power to elucidate, explain, and inform, 334 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:03.600 but perhaps more importantly, 335 00:18:03.600 --> 00:18:06.780 Amistad also has the power to nurture the minds 336 00:18:06.780 --> 00:18:10.980 and wellbeing of individuals from every generation, 337 00:18:10.980 --> 00:18:13.230 to drive community engagement, 338 00:18:13.230 --> 00:18:16.830 and to catalyze lasting social change. 339 00:18:16.830 --> 00:18:17.663 Thank you. 340 00:18:33.150 --> 00:18:35.340 - I'm Laura Mitchell, and I'm thrilled to introduce you 341 00:18:35.340 --> 00:18:38.850 to the amazing work of the Asheville Art Museum. 342 00:18:38.850 --> 00:18:40.350 Their dedication to interpreting 343 00:18:40.350 --> 00:18:43.080 Southern Appalachian artwork, uniting all media 344 00:18:43.080 --> 00:18:47.100 to fully illustrate its rich history is unmatched. 345 00:18:47.100 --> 00:18:49.440 As the new museum building welcomes you into the world 346 00:18:49.440 --> 00:18:52.470 of American art through its inviting glass facade, 347 00:18:52.470 --> 00:18:55.740 it's hard not to feel an instant connection to the place 348 00:18:55.740 --> 00:18:59.070 and person-centered collections and installations, 349 00:18:59.070 --> 00:19:00.330 no matter what part of the world 350 00:19:00.330 --> 00:19:02.580 you're visiting Asheville from. 351 00:19:02.580 --> 00:19:04.050 Even in the face of the pandemic, 352 00:19:04.050 --> 00:19:06.390 shortly after their grand reopening, 353 00:19:06.390 --> 00:19:08.430 they were determined to find creative ways 354 00:19:08.430 --> 00:19:11.493 to keep visitors digitally engaged and learning. 355 00:19:12.450 --> 00:19:14.430 Let's take a closer look at some of the ways 356 00:19:14.430 --> 00:19:17.940 they've been building partnerships and making an impact 357 00:19:17.940 --> 00:19:20.193 in our community and region as a whole. 358 00:19:23.130 --> 00:19:26.460 One of the most exciting connections is the opportunities 359 00:19:26.460 --> 00:19:28.080 that the Asheville art Museum gives 360 00:19:28.080 --> 00:19:29.910 to our students and our teachers, 361 00:19:29.910 --> 00:19:31.290 and as well as our families. 362 00:19:31.290 --> 00:19:33.930 Museum educators here at the Asheville Art Museum 363 00:19:33.930 --> 00:19:38.520 work closely with me to build some professional development 364 00:19:38.520 --> 00:19:39.780 that is really, truly meaningful 365 00:19:39.780 --> 00:19:41.430 and relevant to our teachers. 366 00:19:41.430 --> 00:19:42.720 Across the whole curriculum, 367 00:19:42.720 --> 00:19:45.420 they can make those arts integration connections. 368 00:19:45.420 --> 00:19:47.100 One of the other things the art museum does 369 00:19:47.100 --> 00:19:51.660 is they host the Regional Scholastic Art Awards, 370 00:19:51.660 --> 00:19:56.660 and this is such a gift to our community and to our students 371 00:19:57.960 --> 00:19:59.370 here in Western North Carolina, 372 00:19:59.370 --> 00:20:02.970 because they do a phenomenal job of exhibiting the work 373 00:20:02.970 --> 00:20:04.230 in a very professional manner, 374 00:20:04.230 --> 00:20:07.890 and then they bring in the students and parents 375 00:20:07.890 --> 00:20:10.560 and have a beautiful award ceremony, 376 00:20:10.560 --> 00:20:14.730 and the students can actually see themselves as artists. 377 00:20:14.730 --> 00:20:18.330 They provide art camps for our students in the summer, 378 00:20:18.330 --> 00:20:20.970 and they also employ some of our own educators 379 00:20:20.970 --> 00:20:22.860 here in Macon County Schools. 380 00:20:22.860 --> 00:20:25.720 I would say also, just working with the staff here 381 00:20:26.700 --> 00:20:29.100 and just how personable they are 382 00:20:29.100 --> 00:20:31.740 and how connected they are to our community, 383 00:20:31.740 --> 00:20:33.420 that's just one of the biggest strengths, 384 00:20:33.420 --> 00:20:37.920 is just that they want to serve others 385 00:20:37.920 --> 00:20:41.550 and they want to serve the community by sharing visual art. 386 00:20:41.550 --> 00:20:44.340 - Western North Carolina has artistic traditions 387 00:20:44.340 --> 00:20:46.170 that go back to the Native Americans 388 00:20:46.170 --> 00:20:48.510 who first settled in the region, 389 00:20:48.510 --> 00:20:50.790 and include diverse contributions of those 390 00:20:50.790 --> 00:20:53.343 who later made Southern Appalachia home. 391 00:20:54.180 --> 00:20:56.490 There are contemporary creatives working here 392 00:20:56.490 --> 00:20:58.980 and excelling in every art form. 393 00:20:58.980 --> 00:21:02.490 There are also robust venues to engage with the arts, 394 00:21:02.490 --> 00:21:04.560 but there has never been an anchor, 395 00:21:04.560 --> 00:21:06.810 a highly visible arts institution 396 00:21:06.810 --> 00:21:08.940 proclaiming the centrality of the arts 397 00:21:08.940 --> 00:21:10.653 to our community's wellbeing. 398 00:21:11.610 --> 00:21:16.610 We set out to create just such a place, accessible to all. 399 00:21:16.650 --> 00:21:19.620 The project took more than a decade to come to fruition 400 00:21:19.620 --> 00:21:22.650 and involved the efforts of hundreds. 401 00:21:22.650 --> 00:21:24.750 The museum is a place of learning, 402 00:21:24.750 --> 00:21:27.210 inspiration, and sharing. 403 00:21:27.210 --> 00:21:29.280 Uniquely it celebrates the region's 404 00:21:29.280 --> 00:21:31.680 important aesthetic contributions 405 00:21:31.680 --> 00:21:34.293 and that of America, in dialogue. 406 00:21:35.160 --> 00:21:39.270 Our programs serve populations from preschool to seniors. 407 00:21:39.270 --> 00:21:42.330 We love it when an artist tells us of a pivotal moment 408 00:21:42.330 --> 00:21:44.970 when their own practice was enhanced. 409 00:21:44.970 --> 00:21:48.750 When we overhear memories evoked and stories shared 410 00:21:48.750 --> 00:21:53.220 between elder and younger, when a child has an aha-moment 411 00:21:53.220 --> 00:21:54.600 with a work of art, 412 00:21:54.600 --> 00:21:57.450 or perhaps their first time in an elevator, 413 00:21:57.450 --> 00:22:00.990 their horizons are expanded, and so are ours. 414 00:22:00.990 --> 00:22:03.510 Each day our encounters with visitors tell us 415 00:22:03.510 --> 00:22:06.303 how important the works of museums is. 416 00:22:07.290 --> 00:22:09.750 This honor is for the whole community. 417 00:22:09.750 --> 00:22:13.170 Rightly known for our beautiful mountains, beer and food, 418 00:22:13.170 --> 00:22:16.173 the national medal puts the arts front and center. 419 00:22:17.040 --> 00:22:19.620 Our challenge was and is 420 00:22:19.620 --> 00:22:22.530 to remain a responsive organization, 421 00:22:22.530 --> 00:22:25.440 learning from each visitor, meeting needs, 422 00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:28.710 expanding vital programs and partnerships, 423 00:22:28.710 --> 00:22:31.770 and creating an equitable and accessible space 424 00:22:31.770 --> 00:22:33.720 that shares our collections 425 00:22:33.720 --> 00:22:36.420 and honors and supports creativity, 426 00:22:36.420 --> 00:22:38.013 learning, and connection. 427 00:22:39.060 --> 00:22:41.850 The amazing staff, trustees, members, 428 00:22:41.850 --> 00:22:45.810 and supporters across the nation make our work possible. 429 00:22:45.810 --> 00:22:47.250 We want to thank the Institute 430 00:22:47.250 --> 00:22:50.580 of Museum and Library Services for all that they do, 431 00:22:50.580 --> 00:22:52.500 and for this incredible honor, 432 00:22:52.500 --> 00:22:55.530 which shines a light, not only on our museum, 433 00:22:55.530 --> 00:22:58.170 but on our area's amazing creative heritage 434 00:22:58.170 --> 00:23:00.183 and contemporary arts community. 435 00:23:16.140 --> 00:23:18.120 - Hi, I'm Linda Kotthoff, and I have the pleasure 436 00:23:18.120 --> 00:23:20.400 of telling you a little about one of my favorite places, 437 00:23:20.400 --> 00:23:22.230 the St. Louis County Library. 438 00:23:22.230 --> 00:23:24.720 The library's 20 branches are everything you imagine 439 00:23:24.720 --> 00:23:26.250 when you think of a traditional library, 440 00:23:26.250 --> 00:23:29.430 like reading clubs and research materials, 441 00:23:29.430 --> 00:23:31.650 but look more deeply and you'll see an organization 442 00:23:31.650 --> 00:23:34.890 that supports its community members across the lifespan, 443 00:23:34.890 --> 00:23:37.500 from diapers to digital devices, 444 00:23:37.500 --> 00:23:40.680 from a supermarket on wheels to a mobile vision care unit. 445 00:23:40.680 --> 00:23:43.080 To me, the St. Louis County Library embodies 446 00:23:43.080 --> 00:23:45.780 what a community partner can and should be, 447 00:23:45.780 --> 00:23:47.820 responsive to the needs around it, 448 00:23:47.820 --> 00:23:49.620 and at a time when we all need maybe 449 00:23:49.620 --> 00:23:51.660 a little bit more help than usual, 450 00:23:51.660 --> 00:23:54.630 the library is there, helping us connect to each other 451 00:23:54.630 --> 00:23:57.120 and to services that can make our lives better. 452 00:23:57.120 --> 00:23:59.580 Here are some of the reasons we all feel lucky 453 00:23:59.580 --> 00:24:01.503 that this institution belongs to us. 454 00:24:03.540 --> 00:24:06.060 It's beautiful. It's absolutely gorgeous. 455 00:24:06.060 --> 00:24:09.633 It's so much bigger, or they have a lot more room for books. 456 00:24:10.710 --> 00:24:14.490 It's two stories, and they have more rooms to do 457 00:24:14.490 --> 00:24:16.260 like computer programs and things. 458 00:24:16.260 --> 00:24:18.720 I actually have grown up at the library. 459 00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:21.210 My parents used to take me there when I was little. 460 00:24:21.210 --> 00:24:24.630 Then, as I got older and had my own kids, 461 00:24:24.630 --> 00:24:28.860 I seriously brought them up going to the library. 462 00:24:28.860 --> 00:24:30.870 I mean, we went from when they were very tiny, 463 00:24:30.870 --> 00:24:32.790 we would go for story time, 464 00:24:32.790 --> 00:24:35.700 and we got very involved with doing all of the activities 465 00:24:35.700 --> 00:24:38.370 and all of the different things that they offered, 466 00:24:38.370 --> 00:24:40.770 got to know the librarians very well, 467 00:24:40.770 --> 00:24:42.630 fairly close to them, I would say (laughs), 468 00:24:42.630 --> 00:24:44.190 and I got involved with the art club, 469 00:24:44.190 --> 00:24:46.440 which was every Wednesday, 470 00:24:46.440 --> 00:24:48.630 and then I got my dad involved with the art club, 471 00:24:48.630 --> 00:24:50.700 and it was really nice just spending 472 00:24:50.700 --> 00:24:54.120 that couple hours together each week. 473 00:24:54.120 --> 00:24:57.840 And then I've done tons of the garden programs 474 00:24:57.840 --> 00:24:58.800 that they have. 475 00:24:58.800 --> 00:25:01.320 We do have a community garden up here 476 00:25:01.320 --> 00:25:02.580 at the Grant's View Branch 477 00:25:02.580 --> 00:25:05.190 that we have had since the beginning, 478 00:25:05.190 --> 00:25:07.260 and we really enjoy that, 479 00:25:07.260 --> 00:25:08.490 and growing our own stuff, 480 00:25:08.490 --> 00:25:13.490 and I've done a bunch of exercise classes, Zumba and yoga, 481 00:25:14.070 --> 00:25:15.630 all kinds of different things like that, 482 00:25:15.630 --> 00:25:19.170 so I feel very much a part of the library. 483 00:25:19.170 --> 00:25:20.430 - We are incredibly honored 484 00:25:20.430 --> 00:25:22.320 to receive this prestigious award 485 00:25:22.320 --> 00:25:24.660 honoring the work of our employees. 486 00:25:24.660 --> 00:25:26.640 The St Louis County Library's Efforts 487 00:25:26.640 --> 00:25:28.800 to intentionally steer our priorities 488 00:25:28.800 --> 00:25:30.420 to support the community 489 00:25:30.420 --> 00:25:33.390 were more important than ever during the pandemic. 490 00:25:33.390 --> 00:25:36.720 We look for opportunities to bridge gaps in service 491 00:25:36.720 --> 00:25:40.260 for issues like the digital divide, food insecurity, 492 00:25:40.260 --> 00:25:42.960 economic instability, health disparities, 493 00:25:42.960 --> 00:25:45.060 and working with the justice involved. 494 00:25:45.060 --> 00:25:47.760 We make it a priority to remove barriers 495 00:25:47.760 --> 00:25:50.700 and increase access to library services. 496 00:25:50.700 --> 00:25:54.750 Throughout the pandemic, we have provided essential services 497 00:25:54.750 --> 00:25:58.620 to help people stay connected, access resources, 498 00:25:58.620 --> 00:26:00.210 and continue learning. 499 00:26:00.210 --> 00:26:02.100 Together with our community partners, 500 00:26:02.100 --> 00:26:06.030 we have provided meals, diapers, technology, 501 00:26:06.030 --> 00:26:10.440 tutoring, vaccines, and rental assistance at our branches. 502 00:26:10.440 --> 00:26:12.690 Our efforts to address the digital divide 503 00:26:12.690 --> 00:26:15.780 were particularly impactful during COVID. 504 00:26:15.780 --> 00:26:18.990 Last year we provided 1500 GrandPad tablets 505 00:26:18.990 --> 00:26:22.230 with built in data and internet to older adults. 506 00:26:22.230 --> 00:26:25.080 We have heard from many thankful recipients. 507 00:26:25.080 --> 00:26:27.037 One senior wrote to us and said, 508 00:26:27.037 --> 00:26:28.860 "I wanted to say thank you. 509 00:26:28.860 --> 00:26:30.450 You saved my life. 510 00:26:30.450 --> 00:26:33.660 I picked up my GrandPad yesterday and I love it. 511 00:26:33.660 --> 00:26:35.610 I've been on it all night long. 512 00:26:35.610 --> 00:26:38.550 You did a blessed thing for senior citizens, 513 00:26:38.550 --> 00:26:40.410 because this will entertain you 514 00:26:40.410 --> 00:26:42.930 and keep you from being sad and lonely. 515 00:26:42.930 --> 00:26:45.330 It's so easy for people like me, 516 00:26:45.330 --> 00:26:48.420 illiterate when it comes to gadgets, but this is beautiful, 517 00:26:48.420 --> 00:26:50.160 and I just wanted to tell somebody 518 00:26:50.160 --> 00:26:52.590 at the library, thank you." 519 00:26:52.590 --> 00:26:56.550 Libraries move people forward wherever they are in life, 520 00:26:56.550 --> 00:26:58.470 and this is what the employees 521 00:26:58.470 --> 00:26:59.910 at the St. Louis County Library 522 00:26:59.910 --> 00:27:02.010 are doing every single day. 523 00:27:02.010 --> 00:27:02.843 Thank you. 524 00:28:37.560 --> 00:28:39.630 - Imagine a museum founded by teenagers 525 00:28:39.630 --> 00:28:40.830 more than a century ago 526 00:28:40.830 --> 00:28:42.960 in response to the cultural exploitation 527 00:28:42.960 --> 00:28:44.370 that they saw around them. 528 00:28:44.370 --> 00:28:46.410 Their commitment to preserving the artifacts 529 00:28:46.410 --> 00:28:47.880 and personal histories of the people 530 00:28:47.880 --> 00:28:49.800 who call the Puget Sound home 531 00:28:49.800 --> 00:28:52.440 is the foundation upon which the Burke was created 532 00:28:52.440 --> 00:28:54.780 and continues in its DNA today. 533 00:28:54.780 --> 00:28:57.270 I'm Rachael Tamngin, and it is my distinct pleasure 534 00:28:57.270 --> 00:28:58.950 to introduce you to one of our country's 535 00:28:58.950 --> 00:29:01.410 most magnificent, multifaceted, 536 00:29:01.410 --> 00:29:04.320 mind blowing museums here in Seattle, Washington. 537 00:29:04.320 --> 00:29:07.500 We've come a long way since our founding in 1885. 538 00:29:07.500 --> 00:29:10.230 Visitors today will be wowed by the unparalleled study 539 00:29:10.230 --> 00:29:12.720 and preservation of the fish species, 540 00:29:12.720 --> 00:29:14.160 including eggs and larvae. 541 00:29:14.160 --> 00:29:16.020 Their jaws will drop in examining 542 00:29:16.020 --> 00:29:18.630 our 100% complete T-Rex skull, 543 00:29:18.630 --> 00:29:21.630 or they may lose themselves exploring our vast collection 544 00:29:21.630 --> 00:29:24.780 of Northwest Native art, of which we are extremely proud, 545 00:29:24.780 --> 00:29:27.873 but that, as they say, is just the tip of the iceberg. 546 00:29:30.300 --> 00:29:33.180 I would say the best thing about the Burke in my opinion 547 00:29:33.180 --> 00:29:35.820 is just the community that I've built here, 548 00:29:35.820 --> 00:29:37.920 and we were able to be ourselves, 549 00:29:37.920 --> 00:29:41.400 didn't have to perform for the academy or classes, 550 00:29:41.400 --> 00:29:42.930 just working with different departments. 551 00:29:42.930 --> 00:29:45.390 Everybody's really great to work with. 552 00:29:45.390 --> 00:29:49.350 We were asked to commission a traditionally woven 553 00:29:49.350 --> 00:29:54.350 pandanus sail for long voyaging canoe 554 00:29:54.450 --> 00:29:57.750 to be exhibited in the museum space. 555 00:29:57.750 --> 00:30:00.270 The Burke Museum was really instrumental, 556 00:30:00.270 --> 00:30:03.900 and the crew that helped install the sail 557 00:30:03.900 --> 00:30:07.530 was really a key part of making all of this happen, 558 00:30:07.530 --> 00:30:10.260 and so, you know, building that relationality 559 00:30:10.260 --> 00:30:14.070 that's so important to Pacific Islander culture and values, 560 00:30:14.070 --> 00:30:16.560 that we also incorporate in our research, 561 00:30:16.560 --> 00:30:18.210 really made this happen, 562 00:30:18.210 --> 00:30:21.750 and so now people visit the sail and the exhibit space, 563 00:30:21.750 --> 00:30:26.250 and coming from all different seafaring communities, 564 00:30:26.250 --> 00:30:29.400 or communities that have weaving practices, 565 00:30:29.400 --> 00:30:31.260 and they're able to connect with the sail 566 00:30:31.260 --> 00:30:33.750 so it's been very important for us to have this space 567 00:30:33.750 --> 00:30:38.460 and to use our knowledge and values from our cultures 568 00:30:38.460 --> 00:30:42.930 to influence transformation in museum spaces. 569 00:30:42.930 --> 00:30:45.480 - The Burke Museum is honored to be recognized 570 00:30:45.480 --> 00:30:48.930 for its commitment to serving our communities. 571 00:30:48.930 --> 00:30:51.270 As Washington State's museum, 572 00:30:51.270 --> 00:30:53.457 we are a working research museum 573 00:30:53.457 --> 00:30:56.490 and a living cultural organization. 574 00:30:56.490 --> 00:31:00.480 Co-creating knowledge with communities isn't optional. 575 00:31:00.480 --> 00:31:04.020 It is an imperative if we want to truly live 576 00:31:04.020 --> 00:31:06.630 and fulfill our mission. 577 00:31:06.630 --> 00:31:09.030 Above all, our driving vision 578 00:31:09.030 --> 00:31:11.820 is creating transparency and access. 579 00:31:11.820 --> 00:31:13.800 We live in a time where people feel 580 00:31:13.800 --> 00:31:15.960 disconnected from each other, 581 00:31:15.960 --> 00:31:20.730 from our histories and cultures, and from the natural world. 582 00:31:20.730 --> 00:31:23.790 Our commitment to our vision comes to life 583 00:31:23.790 --> 00:31:27.150 in the new "Inside-Out" model building, 584 00:31:27.150 --> 00:31:30.000 which brings visitors into close, 585 00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:34.020 meaningful engagement with the Burke's research labs, 586 00:31:34.020 --> 00:31:38.250 workrooms, and collection areas, which are open to you. 587 00:31:38.250 --> 00:31:41.670 And we also work to bring the Burke to people 588 00:31:41.670 --> 00:31:44.550 who may not be able to visit us in person, 589 00:31:44.550 --> 00:31:47.790 through all of our traveling and virtual programs 590 00:31:47.790 --> 00:31:51.330 and our online searchable collection database, 591 00:31:51.330 --> 00:31:53.550 which we continue to digitize 592 00:31:53.550 --> 00:31:56.463 to make it more accessible to our communities. 593 00:31:57.420 --> 00:31:59.970 Our work depends on connections. 594 00:31:59.970 --> 00:32:02.940 We collaborate with institutions, communities, 595 00:32:02.940 --> 00:32:06.810 and tribal nations to understand our past, 596 00:32:06.810 --> 00:32:09.510 face the challenges of our present, 597 00:32:09.510 --> 00:32:14.043 and create positive community center change in the future. 598 00:32:29.010 --> 00:32:32.460 - I am thrilled and honored to present to you 599 00:32:32.460 --> 00:32:35.940 the Institute of Museum and Library Services 600 00:32:35.940 --> 00:32:39.990 2022 National Medal Award Winner, 601 00:32:39.990 --> 00:32:42.123 the Wilmington Public Library. 602 00:32:42.960 --> 00:32:47.820 This library that we have all come to cherish and respect 603 00:32:47.820 --> 00:32:50.010 is located in a community 604 00:32:50.010 --> 00:32:55.010 that once had its needs and wants forgotten or ignored. 605 00:32:56.010 --> 00:32:59.730 This library was seen as a homeless shelter 606 00:32:59.730 --> 00:33:04.590 just a few years ago, but it took a vision, 607 00:33:04.590 --> 00:33:07.770 a boatload of courage, and relentless determination 608 00:33:07.770 --> 00:33:09.000 to bring about a change, 609 00:33:09.000 --> 00:33:12.510 which we know the transformation was not easy, 610 00:33:12.510 --> 00:33:15.210 but we are standing in a place right now 611 00:33:15.210 --> 00:33:19.230 that is seen as a beacon of light and hope. 612 00:33:19.230 --> 00:33:23.670 This library is a fixture in a community, and beyond. 613 00:33:23.670 --> 00:33:27.060 You can tell by their social media platforms. 614 00:33:27.060 --> 00:33:30.914 Take a look at the quality of shows and events 615 00:33:30.914 --> 00:33:33.330 that they take on every day. 616 00:33:33.330 --> 00:33:37.260 It goes to show you this library is deeply rooted 617 00:33:37.260 --> 00:33:40.380 and investing in the community on a daily basis, 618 00:33:40.380 --> 00:33:43.200 so it's no surprise that they have won 619 00:33:43.200 --> 00:33:48.200 this prestigious award amongst other honorable mentions. 620 00:33:48.660 --> 00:33:51.000 Yes, it's been a hundred years, 621 00:33:51.000 --> 00:33:54.420 yes, the changes have been remarkable, 622 00:33:54.420 --> 00:33:56.340 but do not sleep on this library, 623 00:33:56.340 --> 00:33:59.160 because if you think the transformation 624 00:33:59.160 --> 00:34:01.710 has been phenomenal, just wait, 625 00:34:01.710 --> 00:34:03.993 because they have only just begun. 626 00:34:06.030 --> 00:34:08.610 - I think the most important thing that I've learned 627 00:34:08.610 --> 00:34:11.100 from this library and witnessing how it moves 628 00:34:11.100 --> 00:34:14.910 is that they're invested in investing in the community. 629 00:34:14.910 --> 00:34:16.920 They could easily just be here to, 630 00:34:16.920 --> 00:34:19.590 here, take your books and go, but they're like, no, 631 00:34:19.590 --> 00:34:23.220 we actually want to pour into those that are around us. 632 00:34:23.220 --> 00:34:24.990 We're not gonna look up at just any, 633 00:34:24.990 --> 00:34:27.810 we're not gonna turn our nose up to the community 634 00:34:27.810 --> 00:34:28.650 and just be like, well, 635 00:34:28.650 --> 00:34:31.530 because you're not presenting yourself a certain way, 636 00:34:31.530 --> 00:34:33.810 you're not worthy, I really do appreciate 637 00:34:33.810 --> 00:34:37.410 how grassroots this library is, so yeah. 638 00:34:37.410 --> 00:34:40.410 - And everyone is welcome here, everyone. 639 00:34:40.410 --> 00:34:43.430 - Thank you, Delaware (crowd cheers). 640 00:34:43.430 --> 00:34:46.320 - We are loyal to the library. 641 00:34:46.320 --> 00:34:49.320 I watch, I scroll on their page every morning 642 00:34:49.320 --> 00:34:51.120 just to see what's out there, 643 00:34:51.120 --> 00:34:53.010 because I don't wanna miss out on anything. 644 00:34:53.010 --> 00:34:54.360 So there was a girlfriend of mine 645 00:34:54.360 --> 00:34:57.690 who was having a lot of problems, 646 00:34:57.690 --> 00:35:02.130 and she was the grandmother of her grandkids, 647 00:35:02.130 --> 00:35:07.130 just this past weekend, they were having a diaper giveaway 648 00:35:07.260 --> 00:35:12.260 from size one to six, and she came and she got diapers, 649 00:35:12.900 --> 00:35:15.540 and she said, this is money that I don't have 650 00:35:15.540 --> 00:35:17.280 that they give it to me for free. 651 00:35:17.280 --> 00:35:21.660 My friends, they all, some of them come for workshops 652 00:35:21.660 --> 00:35:26.460 like I do for finances, or I remember the Delaware, 653 00:35:26.460 --> 00:35:29.160 the Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce, 654 00:35:29.160 --> 00:35:32.160 that also had an event here, and yeah, 655 00:35:32.160 --> 00:35:34.760 they're very, very, very invested in this community. 656 00:35:36.570 --> 00:35:37.980 - Greetings, everyone. 657 00:35:37.980 --> 00:35:39.930 My name is Jamar Rahming, and I serve 658 00:35:39.930 --> 00:35:41.160 as the executive director 659 00:35:41.160 --> 00:35:43.710 of the Wilmington Institute Free Library, 660 00:35:43.710 --> 00:35:45.600 and on behalf of the City of Wilmington, 661 00:35:45.600 --> 00:35:48.840 Delaware Division of Libraries, New Castle County, 662 00:35:48.840 --> 00:35:51.270 and our great staff and board of trustees, 663 00:35:51.270 --> 00:35:54.003 I'm humbled to accept this honor. 664 00:35:54.960 --> 00:35:57.840 As the Declaration of Independence 665 00:35:57.840 --> 00:36:00.630 represented the end of the American Revolution, 666 00:36:00.630 --> 00:36:04.530 and emancipation proclamation pontificated the freedom 667 00:36:04.530 --> 00:36:08.490 of people of African descent, the IMLS Medal, 668 00:36:08.490 --> 00:36:10.980 the highest honor in library land, 669 00:36:10.980 --> 00:36:13.740 is a resounding victory for us 670 00:36:13.740 --> 00:36:17.130 as we've waged warfare against the epidemic 671 00:36:17.130 --> 00:36:21.150 of illiteracy in our community. 672 00:36:21.150 --> 00:36:23.610 We have citizens that have never left 673 00:36:23.610 --> 00:36:25.380 the City of Wilmington. 674 00:36:25.380 --> 00:36:28.530 Therefore we have brought the world to them. 675 00:36:28.530 --> 00:36:32.160 Our citizens have walked into their city library 676 00:36:32.160 --> 00:36:33.780 and have met and interacted 677 00:36:33.780 --> 00:36:37.200 with some of the most prolific voices in modern times, 678 00:36:37.200 --> 00:36:41.910 such as Lavar Burton, Dennis Rodman, Angela Davis, 679 00:36:41.910 --> 00:36:46.503 Dr. Cornel West, Ana Navarro, and Pamela Grier. 680 00:36:47.460 --> 00:36:51.000 Black boys in our community were struggling with reading. 681 00:36:51.000 --> 00:36:52.740 With our Barbershop Books initiative, 682 00:36:52.740 --> 00:36:56.010 we set up pop up libraries in barbershops 683 00:36:56.010 --> 00:36:57.510 all throughout the city. 684 00:36:57.510 --> 00:37:00.540 Young black boys now associate reading 685 00:37:00.540 --> 00:37:03.810 with swagger, freshness, coolness, 686 00:37:03.810 --> 00:37:05.523 and the pride of a haircut. 687 00:37:06.360 --> 00:37:08.730 This initiative has transformed our city, 688 00:37:08.730 --> 00:37:11.790 and it will ultimately transform our nation. 689 00:37:11.790 --> 00:37:14.937 Therefore it is incumbent upon us 690 00:37:14.937 --> 00:37:17.670 and the future of all urban libraries 691 00:37:17.670 --> 00:37:21.360 to make freshness, flavor, swagger, and coolness 692 00:37:21.360 --> 00:37:24.330 the bedrock of all of our endeavors. 693 00:37:24.330 --> 00:37:27.120 That is how the revolution is won. 694 00:37:27.120 --> 00:37:30.160 Thank you IMLS, for this token of victory. 695 00:38:45.270 --> 00:38:48.810 - Art, history, and science, all focused on and designed 696 00:38:48.810 --> 00:38:52.260 to celebrate the incredible diversity of California, 697 00:38:52.260 --> 00:38:54.510 from its people to its plants, 698 00:38:54.510 --> 00:38:57.510 that's the makeup of the Oakland Museum of California, 699 00:38:57.510 --> 00:39:01.440 founded in 1969 to be a museum of the people. 700 00:39:01.440 --> 00:39:04.920 I'm Carolyn Johnson, CEO of the Black Cultural Zone 701 00:39:04.920 --> 00:39:06.960 Community Development Corporation, 702 00:39:06.960 --> 00:39:09.870 and I can't tell you how many times I've overheard 703 00:39:09.870 --> 00:39:11.520 museum visitors whisper, 704 00:39:11.520 --> 00:39:14.010 I never knew that, and that's important, 705 00:39:14.010 --> 00:39:17.700 because most of the visitors here are local, not tourists. 706 00:39:17.700 --> 00:39:20.880 You see local school kids learning about where they live, 707 00:39:20.880 --> 00:39:22.710 how their environment was shaped, 708 00:39:22.710 --> 00:39:25.380 and what generations before them fought for. 709 00:39:25.380 --> 00:39:28.710 People who visit here see themselves in the artifacts. 710 00:39:28.710 --> 00:39:30.570 They feel comfortable and welcome, 711 00:39:30.570 --> 00:39:32.580 which is just one of the many things 712 00:39:32.580 --> 00:39:34.680 that makes this museum so special 713 00:39:34.680 --> 00:39:36.273 and deserving of this award. 714 00:39:39.150 --> 00:39:42.000 Oakland Museum of California has been very important to me, 715 00:39:42.000 --> 00:39:43.440 and it was just a special place, 716 00:39:43.440 --> 00:39:45.300 different than East Oakland, 717 00:39:45.300 --> 00:39:47.700 a place that was different and relaxing 718 00:39:47.700 --> 00:39:49.800 and exciting and inspiring, 719 00:39:49.800 --> 00:39:52.470 so I've loved the museum since I was in high school, 720 00:39:52.470 --> 00:39:54.930 and so there's no particular program. 721 00:39:54.930 --> 00:39:57.750 I've come to some of the Black Panther work as well, 722 00:39:57.750 --> 00:39:59.820 some of the Afro futurism work as well, 723 00:39:59.820 --> 00:40:01.560 which is a major exhibit, 724 00:40:01.560 --> 00:40:03.900 so I've had a chance to get in touch with the exhibits, 725 00:40:03.900 --> 00:40:06.150 with the administration, and with the festivals 726 00:40:06.150 --> 00:40:07.080 and the events that you have, 727 00:40:07.080 --> 00:40:10.020 so all of OMCA has been something special for me, 728 00:40:10.020 --> 00:40:13.050 and also the Afrofuturism exhibit has been something 729 00:40:13.050 --> 00:40:16.740 that's opened their eyes to what a museum can be 730 00:40:16.740 --> 00:40:18.720 and what it should be for them in their lives. 731 00:40:18.720 --> 00:40:21.930 I think, again, OMCA and its involvement 732 00:40:21.930 --> 00:40:24.210 in bringing the museum to East Oakland 733 00:40:24.210 --> 00:40:25.560 has been really special, 734 00:40:25.560 --> 00:40:28.680 because it's so far away, but bringing it closer to us 735 00:40:28.680 --> 00:40:30.150 makes East Oakland folks feel like 736 00:40:30.150 --> 00:40:31.620 we're a part of the museum. 737 00:40:31.620 --> 00:40:33.030 It's a beautiful location, 738 00:40:33.030 --> 00:40:34.560 it's got great art and exhibits, 739 00:40:34.560 --> 00:40:37.110 and it's really connected to our community. 740 00:40:37.110 --> 00:40:39.420 It's not just a museum for them. 741 00:40:39.420 --> 00:40:42.090 It's a museum for us, so what I really want folks to know 742 00:40:42.090 --> 00:40:44.700 is that it's here, it's beautiful, 743 00:40:44.700 --> 00:40:46.980 it's meant for us, and it's special, 744 00:40:46.980 --> 00:40:49.680 and I want folks to come to OMCA to see the space, 745 00:40:49.680 --> 00:40:51.240 to see the art, to see the exhibits, 746 00:40:51.240 --> 00:40:53.400 and know that it's not just for them. 747 00:40:53.400 --> 00:40:54.960 It's for us. 748 00:40:54.960 --> 00:40:57.660 - The Oakland Museum of California is so honored 749 00:40:57.660 --> 00:40:59.820 to be a recipient of the National Medal 750 00:40:59.820 --> 00:41:02.670 for Museum and Library Services. 751 00:41:02.670 --> 00:41:07.320 This award recognizes our important role in our community 752 00:41:07.320 --> 00:41:10.470 as Oakland's gathering place or town square, 753 00:41:10.470 --> 00:41:12.510 as a place where people come together 754 00:41:12.510 --> 00:41:17.070 to build greater trust and understanding and connection. 755 00:41:17.070 --> 00:41:19.140 Since our founding in 1969, 756 00:41:19.140 --> 00:41:22.320 we've been known as the museum of the people. 757 00:41:22.320 --> 00:41:24.900 We tell the stories of California, 758 00:41:24.900 --> 00:41:28.020 including the untold and undertold stories, 759 00:41:28.020 --> 00:41:30.120 and by lifting up these voices, 760 00:41:30.120 --> 00:41:34.530 our visitors see themselves and their identities reflected. 761 00:41:34.530 --> 00:41:36.390 They connect with other people, 762 00:41:36.390 --> 00:41:39.480 both people like them and people not like them, 763 00:41:39.480 --> 00:41:42.840 and they feel a sense of belonging. 764 00:41:42.840 --> 00:41:45.900 As we emerge from this time of social distancing, 765 00:41:45.900 --> 00:41:49.230 we believe Oakland and the Bay Area needs and deserves 766 00:41:49.230 --> 00:41:51.933 a place like the Oakland Museum of California. 767 00:41:52.770 --> 00:41:56.250 For us, this award is a tribute to all the people 768 00:41:56.250 --> 00:41:59.400 whose shoulders we stand on, not just today, 769 00:41:59.400 --> 00:42:01.320 but for the last 50 years, 770 00:42:01.320 --> 00:42:05.340 our board members and donors, our staff and volunteers, 771 00:42:05.340 --> 00:42:08.580 our community partners, and for us, 772 00:42:08.580 --> 00:42:12.810 this is a time to rededicate ourselves to being a museum 773 00:42:12.810 --> 00:42:16.530 of, by, and for all the people. 774 00:42:16.530 --> 00:42:19.800 We are so grateful to IMLS for this great honor. 775 00:42:19.800 --> 00:42:20.633 Thank you. 776 00:42:31.590 --> 00:42:33.750 - This poem is called "Palaces," 777 00:42:33.750 --> 00:42:37.147 and it is dedicated to the 2022 and 2021 778 00:42:38.070 --> 00:42:41.820 National Medalists for Museum and Library Services. 779 00:42:41.820 --> 00:42:45.870 How I love those grand monumental buildings, 780 00:42:45.870 --> 00:42:50.870 those palaces of the people, those museums and libraries. 781 00:42:51.150 --> 00:42:54.120 Even the smallest storefront library 782 00:42:54.120 --> 00:42:56.310 wedged next to a RadioShack 783 00:42:56.310 --> 00:42:59.880 feels like a soaring place of worship to me. 784 00:42:59.880 --> 00:43:03.330 They have a reverential, air conditioned, 785 00:43:03.330 --> 00:43:07.530 hushed, or maybe not so hushed aura to them. 786 00:43:07.530 --> 00:43:11.190 They say, here readers and wanders, 787 00:43:11.190 --> 00:43:14.250 you may flip through the racks of romances, 788 00:43:14.250 --> 00:43:16.950 or my favorite, the 811's according to Dewey, 789 00:43:16.950 --> 00:43:19.350 the books of poetry, and then find 790 00:43:19.350 --> 00:43:22.350 what you didn't even know you most needed. 791 00:43:22.350 --> 00:43:24.960 Maybe the word museum already calls to mind 792 00:43:24.960 --> 00:43:27.510 some marble and columns, 793 00:43:27.510 --> 00:43:30.840 the palaces along Fifth Avenue's Museum Mile, 794 00:43:30.840 --> 00:43:33.330 back in a time when those robber barons decreed 795 00:43:33.330 --> 00:43:35.190 all culture should be locked up 796 00:43:35.190 --> 00:43:37.800 in their gilded, Faberge egg mansions, 797 00:43:37.800 --> 00:43:40.680 which already showed so many cracks, 798 00:43:40.680 --> 00:43:42.630 but after untold striving, 799 00:43:42.630 --> 00:43:46.140 there are museums in all boroughs and all cities now, 800 00:43:46.140 --> 00:43:49.080 and palaces can be made of warehouses 801 00:43:49.080 --> 00:43:51.870 or people's living rooms, and there are museums 802 00:43:51.870 --> 00:43:53.880 with no walls at all. 803 00:43:53.880 --> 00:43:56.100 Just recently, as I was walking home 804 00:43:56.100 --> 00:43:58.080 over a typically drab bridge, 805 00:43:58.080 --> 00:44:01.830 I became a visitor to an all-of-a-sudden art gallery. 806 00:44:01.830 --> 00:44:05.160 The piece was aerosol paint on sheet metal, 807 00:44:05.160 --> 00:44:07.020 but as exquisite as anything 808 00:44:07.020 --> 00:44:09.630 gracing the walls of a cathedral. 809 00:44:09.630 --> 00:44:12.990 A figure drawn with sparse, concise arcs 810 00:44:12.990 --> 00:44:16.110 of black spray paint was sleeping peacefully 811 00:44:16.110 --> 00:44:19.680 under a two dimensional blanket, while a smiling, 812 00:44:19.680 --> 00:44:23.460 minimalistic angel hovered over them protectively, 813 00:44:23.460 --> 00:44:27.750 the angel's wispy body as long as the sleeper's bed, 814 00:44:27.750 --> 00:44:30.660 angelic legs crossed at the waist, 815 00:44:30.660 --> 00:44:34.920 a floating, dreamlike vision of safety and serenity, 816 00:44:34.920 --> 00:44:37.650 the sleeper's face and the angel's face 817 00:44:37.650 --> 00:44:40.800 hovered against the rivets of the sheet metal. 818 00:44:40.800 --> 00:44:44.220 I almost fell to my knees on the cold cement 819 00:44:44.220 --> 00:44:46.927 when I read the words painted below, 820 00:44:46.927 --> 00:44:49.623 "Rest in peace, Brian," and the date. 821 00:44:50.460 --> 00:44:51.510 But the very next day, 822 00:44:51.510 --> 00:44:54.450 the mural was slathered over with white paint, 823 00:44:54.450 --> 00:44:57.120 the city deciding that no museum, no memorial, 824 00:44:57.120 --> 00:44:59.610 was permitted on that bridge, 825 00:44:59.610 --> 00:45:02.040 but despite everything, I still feel truly lucky 826 00:45:02.040 --> 00:45:04.170 to call the city of Baltimore my home, 827 00:45:04.170 --> 00:45:07.560 the site of so many palatial museums and libraries, 828 00:45:07.560 --> 00:45:09.330 including my childhood temple, 829 00:45:09.330 --> 00:45:11.370 The Holy of Holies, the central branch 830 00:45:11.370 --> 00:45:13.870 of the Enoch Pratt Free Library (audience laughs). 831 00:45:14.820 --> 00:45:17.760 Any visit there starts with the department store windows 832 00:45:17.760 --> 00:45:21.330 decorated with authors' photos like glamorous movie stars. 833 00:45:21.330 --> 00:45:24.570 And then you sail in through the towering brass doors. 834 00:45:24.570 --> 00:45:27.180 Of course, my haven was the children's basement, 835 00:45:27.180 --> 00:45:30.150 with its tiled koi pond and bean bag chairs, 836 00:45:30.150 --> 00:45:32.250 where I learned the love of storybooks 837 00:45:32.250 --> 00:45:34.830 while watching the city's legs pass by 838 00:45:34.830 --> 00:45:36.990 in the tall cellar windows. 839 00:45:36.990 --> 00:45:39.540 Recently refurbished, I still love to drift 840 00:45:39.540 --> 00:45:41.880 through that light saturated library, 841 00:45:41.880 --> 00:45:44.850 a grand atrium that asks you to browse and float 842 00:45:44.850 --> 00:45:46.650 through the stacks at your leisure, 843 00:45:46.650 --> 00:45:49.650 not hurrying you along like other massive structures 844 00:45:49.650 --> 00:45:51.930 that just want to expel you from their opulence 845 00:45:51.930 --> 00:45:53.760 as soon as possible. 846 00:45:53.760 --> 00:45:56.970 But I make pilgrimages to the neighborhood branches too, 847 00:45:56.970 --> 00:46:00.960 those warmer, cozier, outposts of warmth and book clubs 848 00:46:00.960 --> 00:46:03.150 and night classes and James Patterson, 849 00:46:03.150 --> 00:46:06.330 always so, so much James Patterson (audience laughs), 850 00:46:06.330 --> 00:46:09.030 but these are the true palaces 851 00:46:09.030 --> 00:46:12.030 that stitch my beloved city together. 852 00:46:12.030 --> 00:46:15.060 In fact, during the 2015 uprising in Baltimore, 853 00:46:15.060 --> 00:46:17.790 the Penn North branch kept its doors open, 854 00:46:17.790 --> 00:46:19.650 and never turned anyone away, 855 00:46:19.650 --> 00:46:22.380 at the insistence of Dr. Carla Hayden. 856 00:46:22.380 --> 00:46:25.350 A similar spirit of openness infuses my favorite museum 857 00:46:25.350 --> 00:46:28.200 in the city, the American Visionary Art Museum, 858 00:46:28.200 --> 00:46:30.840 exclusively exhibiting artists who are self trained, 859 00:46:30.840 --> 00:46:33.420 self-taught, true visionaries. 860 00:46:33.420 --> 00:46:35.430 In their palaces made of toothpicks 861 00:46:35.430 --> 00:46:38.250 and kitschy queer-love stitched in sequins, 862 00:46:38.250 --> 00:46:41.340 the artists at this museum show us how to take our oddness, 863 00:46:41.340 --> 00:46:44.430 our obsessions, our untrained eyes, and make beautiful, 864 00:46:44.430 --> 00:46:48.030 devotional works from our own lives and memories. 865 00:46:48.030 --> 00:46:49.800 Maybe most essentially of all, 866 00:46:49.800 --> 00:46:52.920 museums and libraries give the public their dignity. 867 00:46:52.920 --> 00:46:54.780 I think of the Enoch Pratt Library, 868 00:46:54.780 --> 00:46:57.510 purposefully designed without any imposing stairs 869 00:46:57.510 --> 00:47:00.900 at the entrance, relieving all the stroller pushers 870 00:47:00.900 --> 00:47:03.480 and those for whom the stairs would be a barrier, 871 00:47:03.480 --> 00:47:05.700 how rare it is to share a public space 872 00:47:05.700 --> 00:47:08.220 that actually invites us in. 873 00:47:08.220 --> 00:47:11.100 So I think too of the St. Louis county Public Library 874 00:47:11.100 --> 00:47:14.190 going late-fee free and merging with the city system 875 00:47:14.190 --> 00:47:16.050 to better serve their community, 876 00:47:16.050 --> 00:47:19.020 or the Asheville Art Museum showing us how to celebrate 877 00:47:19.020 --> 00:47:21.780 regional culture while also situating that culture 878 00:47:21.780 --> 00:47:24.210 within all sorts of arts and artifacts, 879 00:47:24.210 --> 00:47:25.950 just as they merged old and new 880 00:47:25.950 --> 00:47:27.360 with their incredible building, 881 00:47:27.360 --> 00:47:29.700 which is a work of art in itself. 882 00:47:29.700 --> 00:47:32.340 Consider too the dignity that the Wilmington Institute 883 00:47:32.340 --> 00:47:34.560 Free Library offers its patrons, 884 00:47:34.560 --> 00:47:37.770 a gilded beauty of a library with carved sculptures 885 00:47:37.770 --> 00:47:39.870 of winged creatures along the roof, 886 00:47:39.870 --> 00:47:42.120 keeping some traditions alive while also offering 887 00:47:42.120 --> 00:47:45.780 all the wonderful services of a modern library system, 888 00:47:45.780 --> 00:47:48.180 and the Amistad Research Center's collections, 889 00:47:48.180 --> 00:47:50.670 which redeem often concealed histories, 890 00:47:50.670 --> 00:47:53.070 telling stories of freedom and dignity through methods 891 00:47:53.070 --> 00:47:55.650 as varied as land deeds and newspapers, 892 00:47:55.650 --> 00:47:59.040 or the art forms of poetry and contemporary zines. 893 00:47:59.040 --> 00:48:00.900 Let's also learn from the Burke Museum 894 00:48:00.900 --> 00:48:02.790 of Natural History and Culture, 895 00:48:02.790 --> 00:48:04.470 an institution which teaches us 896 00:48:04.470 --> 00:48:07.410 how interconnected archeology, paleontology, 897 00:48:07.410 --> 00:48:09.000 folklore, and art can be, 898 00:48:09.000 --> 00:48:11.850 an ecosystem as intricate as the Pacific Northwest, 899 00:48:11.850 --> 00:48:13.830 which this museum serves. 900 00:48:13.830 --> 00:48:15.600 The Oakland Museum of California too 901 00:48:15.600 --> 00:48:19.350 also uses one region as a window into all places, 902 00:48:19.350 --> 00:48:21.930 showing how California is so much more complex 903 00:48:21.930 --> 00:48:24.480 than any one narrative can encompass, 904 00:48:24.480 --> 00:48:27.300 a kind of city institution that is truly connected 905 00:48:27.300 --> 00:48:30.060 to its city, not just a closed off space 906 00:48:30.060 --> 00:48:33.300 that only has the address of a certain location. 907 00:48:33.300 --> 00:48:36.030 This is why we need museums and libraries too, 908 00:48:36.030 --> 00:48:38.610 if only because they are some of the only places 909 00:48:38.610 --> 00:48:41.550 that won't turn a community member away for not paying, 910 00:48:41.550 --> 00:48:43.530 or get someone arrested or try to haggle, 911 00:48:43.530 --> 00:48:46.800 fool, confuse, numb, or distract their visitors. 912 00:48:46.800 --> 00:48:50.550 No, these are people's palaces, made for dignity. 913 00:48:50.550 --> 00:48:52.740 Every medalist today and every finalist, 914 00:48:52.740 --> 00:48:55.920 every institution that promises a moment of calm, 915 00:48:55.920 --> 00:48:59.730 of learning, of illumination, these are our palaces. 916 00:48:59.730 --> 00:49:01.950 From the closed stacks of special collections 917 00:49:01.950 --> 00:49:03.750 to the most visited museums, 918 00:49:03.750 --> 00:49:06.870 these grand, varied, municipal organizations, 919 00:49:06.870 --> 00:49:09.510 from central branches to neighborhood outposts, 920 00:49:09.510 --> 00:49:11.910 with their guardian lions made of stone, 921 00:49:11.910 --> 00:49:14.790 with their water fountains that always taste like pennies, 922 00:49:14.790 --> 00:49:17.250 with their air of discovery and wonder, 923 00:49:17.250 --> 00:49:19.200 from the most massive city museum 924 00:49:19.200 --> 00:49:21.120 to the smallest roadside memorial, 925 00:49:21.120 --> 00:49:24.510 let's keep these palaces alive and free of all barriers. 926 00:49:24.510 --> 00:49:25.997 Thank you for listening (audience cheers and applauds).