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Deputy head of U.S. Library of Congress gives annual UVic lecture

David Mao, the deputy head of the greatest troves of knowledge on Earth, came to Victoria this week to visit the University of Victoria and spread the word about the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
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David Mao, deputy head of the U.S. Library of Congress, in conversation with University of Victoria chancellor Shelagh Rogers at the Belfry Theatre on Monday.

 

 

David Mao, the deputy head of the greatest troves of knowledge on Earth, came to Victoria this week to visit the University of Victoria and spread the word about the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, with more than 162 million items in 470 languages on shelves that stretch for 1,348 kilometres.

Mao was the acting Librarian of Congress for a year. That put him in charge of a staff of 3,100 and a collection that grows by 12,000 items every day. It includes not only 38 million books and other print materials, but 70 million manuscripts, 14 million photographs, 3.6 million recordings, 5.5 million maps and 7.1 million pieces of sheet music.

Mao, who obtained a degree in law before he became a librarian, was a guest speaker in a class at the university’s Faculty of Law on Monday, and met with students and faculty.

That evening, he was at the Belfry Theatre to present the 2016 University of Victoria Librarian’s Annual Lecture. In a conversation on stage with university chancellor Shelagh Rogers, Mao spoke about some of the treasures in the Library of Congress.

Those treasures include the contents of Abraham Lincoln’s pockets on the night he was assassinated. Mao carries a photo of those items, including money and newspaper clippings, on his iPhone.

More than 200 people listened to Mao discuss the role of libraries in preserving and providing access to knowledge, a task made more challenging in the age of digital information.

The event was sponsored by the University of Victoria Libraries, the Greater Victoria Public Library and the Belfry Theatre.

“We place great importance on community engagement and, with that focus in mind, we seek out like-minded partnerships whenever possible to enrich the cultural life of our city and region,” university librarian Jonathan Bengtson said.

The librarian’s lecture series features speakers who discuss the enduring value of libraries to society. It is made possible because of a bequest from the estate of William Petrie.