11 May 1999

Australian Library Week Oration

Explore and discover - Warren Horton

Warren Horton AM FALIA

The internet and the access it gives to information is a powerful tool which strengthens our democracy, the retiring director-general of the National Library of Australia, Warren Horton, says in his Australian Library Week Oration, to be delivered in the Parliament House theatrette, Canberra on Thursday, 13 May, at 12:00nn.

'Libraries need to ensure that Australians have the fullest access to legitimate information from every source,' he says. 'The capacity of the internet to deliver such volumes of information, and the capacity of people to so easily place content on it, has led to the present debate of regulating internet content.'

'It saddens me that much of this debate seems to start from the perspective of control of access to information on the internet, either through regulation of content or copyright restrictions, rather than a recognition of the liberating and democratic nature of the Internet and its wonderful capacity to provide information so dynamically.'

'Libraries, because of their central role in providing access to information, sit squarely in this debate.'

Mr Horton has been director-general of the National Library of Australia since 1985 and will retire from his position in July. He came to the National Library from Victoria, where he was state librarian from 1981 to 1985. He was an elected member of the International Federation of Library and Information Associations and Institutions (IFLA), the world body for librarianship, from 1991 to 1997. He is a Fellow of the Australian Library and Information Association and recipient of its highest honour, the HCL Anderson Award.

Australian Library Week, which begins on Monday 17 May, gives librarians the opportunity to publicise library services to the community. A week of exciting activities will be hosted by libraries around the country.

Members of the press are invited to hear the Oration at Parliament House Theatrette, Canberra on Thursday 13 May 1999. The program is as follows:

Copies of Mr Horton's speech will be available here on ALIAnet, and will also be distributed in the Parliament House press gallery boxes on 13 May and will also be available from the national office of the Australian Library and Information Association, 9-11 Napier Close, Deakin.