Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Life on the front line of learning
Sharing the stage with former Senator Bill Bradley, Vartan Gregorian, president of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, spoke at the opening general session of the American Library Association Annual Conference in Washington D.C. this weekend. In his highly charged speech, Gregorian touched on topics ranging from the history and future of libraries to democracy, knowledge, community and change.
Born in Tabriz, Iran, Gregorian documented much of his life in The Road to Home: My Life and Times. In Chapter 12: A Rendezvous with the New York Public Library of the fascinating memoir, the legendary philanthropist Mrs. Brooke Astor discloses the secret to youthful longevity:
Born in Tabriz, Iran, Gregorian documented much of his life in The Road to Home: My Life and Times. In Chapter 12: A Rendezvous with the New York Public Library of the fascinating memoir, the legendary philanthropist Mrs. Brooke Astor discloses the secret to youthful longevity:
Be an optimist, be curious, read every night, don't meet the same people all the time (sooner or later they become lazy, boring, and repeat themselves), don't be a cynic, don't envy or be jealous (these sentiments are corrosive and they diminish you), spend some time in solitude in order to reflect, meet different people, young people, travel, and, if you are rich, adhere to the Gospel of "the Joy of Giving."
