Kansas City Public Library Director Crosby Kemper III hosts a conversation about humanities studies and the future of America's position in the world with brothers James H. and David Billington on Thursday, January 21, at 6:30 p.m. at the Central Library.

James Billington, the librarian of Congress, will discuss why the decline of humanities studies has diminished America's position in the world.

He was sworn in as the librarian of Congress on Sept. 14, 1987. He is the 13th incumbent of that position since the Library was established in 1800 and under his leadership the Library has expanded its public outreach, most notably in major international exhibits and through the establishment of a new National Digital Library.

David Billington, the Gordon Y.S. Wu Professor of Engineering at Princeton University, will discuss why America's historic pre-eminence in engineering has not been recognized as a humanistic achievement.

He has worked to connect engineering at Princeton to other disciplines, such as humanities, art, and politics. He specializes in structural analysis and design with an emphasis on concrete structures.