American Corner
Remarks by Ambassador Ralph Frank at the Opening of "The America Corner - Osijek" City and University Library
May 20, 2005
I am delighted to be here today to open the very first American Corner in Croatia.
My thanks to Rector Kralik, who could not be here today but who sent us Vice-Rector Jurkovic in her stead (I'm very pleased that you could be here today with us), and I'd also like to express my deep appreciation to Library Director Katalenac, for helping make this American Corner a reality. We have an excellent partnership here, and today is just the first step in what I hope will be a long and productive relationship.
My Government is investing in these "mini-libraries" to encourage citizens around the world to learn about the United States.
The American Corner here in Osijek provides the citizens of this community - and the wider Slavonian community - with a variety of tools to find out more about Americans and what makes us who we are, and what makes us take the decisions and actions that we do.
The tools are a combination of the traditional and the advanced. We have provided nearly a thousand books about American subjects ranging from literature to political science, biographies of great Americans to reference materials. More books are coming, and we will also provide American magazines on a variety of topics.
We have also provided DVDs and videos, a VCR, DVD player and a television, along with a computer connected to the Internet so you can learn about U.S. subjects too current to be covered elsewhere.
Too often we misunderstand each other because of misinformation or miscommunication or crossed cultural signals. We hope that this American Corner will contribute to better mutual understanding.
I admit that understanding America is an ambitious goal. The U.S. is complicated. We are a country of many nations -- a diverse people with differing ideas, backgrounds, religions, languages, and opinions.
Yet we are bound together by a fundamental set of democratic principles and a system of government that has not wavered over the years. We express our differences without fear. We debate. We compromise. We evolve - yes, we continue to evolve and grow.
Here at The American Corner, you can explore for yourself our history, society, culture, and values, and learn about our government and economic systems, current politics and policies. Hopefully, the Corner will become a forum for listening to Americans who will come here to speak on subjects of importance to Americans and Croatians alike.
So I encourage you to use this American Corner. It is yours. It is located where you have easy access to it, and it is organized so you can use a variety of ways to gain information about the U.S. - one-stop shopping, as we say.
We hope all the citizens in this community will come here, not just students. We have provided the books, equipment, and other materials, and will bring American specialists here so you can engage them in lively, informed debate. Your library has provided space, shelving, the Internet connection, and staff to take full advantage of our donation. Ours is a true partnership.
And speaking of staff, I want to make sure that everyone knows that Marija Erl is the coordinator for The American Corner.
So, once again, my thanks to Rector Kralik, Vice Rector Jurkovic, and Director Katalenac for their support and foresight. And on their behalf, I pronounce The American Corner in Osijek - open!