Larson on the Retirement Announcement of Dr. James Billington, Librarian of Congress

Washington – “For nearly thirty years, Dr. Billington has stood at the helm of the Library of Congress, steering the nation’s fortress of knowledge and humanity through times of massive cultural change and technological advancement.

“Throughout his stewardship, Dr. Billington worked ceaselessly to make the Library accessible to millions of people across the nation and around the world. From the launch of the National Book Festival in 2001 to the building of a “World Digital Library;” from the collection of 100,000 oral testimonies for the Veterans History Project to the many blockbuster exhibitions displaying the Library’s vast collections, Dr. Billington’s leadership has successfully and surefootedly guided the Library of Congress into the 21st-century. I was also proud to work with him on initiating the International Summit of the Book, which is now entering its fourth year.

“A figure as accomplished and humane as any literary hero – a real life Albus Dumbledore or Gandalf the Grey – Dr. Billington is a true visionary, and we as a nation have reaped the many benefits of his tenure as Librarian of Congress. It has been a privilege and an honor to call him my friend. Though I am saddened by his departure, I wish him and his wife Marjorie, as well and his children and grandchildren, all the best. He will always be in the hearts and minds of the many he touched.”

###