This year, for the first time in history, all 12 presidential libraries are cooperating to hold deliberative forums on several key issues facing the nation in the upcoming presidential elections.

Each library will have a forum on health care, along with two other topics that the libraries feel are particularly relevant to residents in their areas, such as race relations, education, energy or immigration.

In collaboration with the National Issues Forums Institute and the Kettering Foundation, the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum is hosting a series of discussions on public policy issues between Labor Day and Election Day.

The first forum, called "The Energy Crisis: Choices for an Uncertain Future," will be held Tuesday. The second forum, on Sept. 23, will focus on "Coping with the Cost of Health Care: How Do We Pay for What We Need?" Our final forum for fall, scheduled for Oct. 7, centers around education issues and is called "Too Many Children Left Behind: How Do We Close the Gap?"

All forums will be begin at 7 p.m. in the George Bush Presidential Library & Museum classroom.

These forums are nonpartisan and are not formatted like typical political debates. Rather, they will be more like public discussions, giving residents a chance to explore the costs and benefits of proposed courses of action.

Forum participants will deliberate eye-to-eye, face-to-face, exploring options, weighing others' views, considering the costs and consequences of public policy decisions. Offering Brazos Valley residents a framework for deliberative forums allows policymakers to hear the voices of our community.

These deliberative forums should be rich with opportunities to hear the public voice that emerges.

Reservations are preferred for these events so that we may have enough of the printed materials. There is no cost to participate or for the materials. To reserve your spot, contact Tracy Johnson by e-mail at Tracy.Johnson@nara.gov or by calling 691-4069.

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Mark your calendars for the opening of our latest exhibit, From the Moon and Beyond: NASA's Continuing Mission.

The exhibit is in partnership with the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library & Museum, NASA's Johnson Space Center and Space Center Houston.

The George Bush Presidential Library & Museum will outline the momentous journey with Apollo 12 through the current shuttle missions. Beyond the Moon: NASA's Continuing Mission focuses on Skylab, Apollo-Soyuz, the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station.

Feel the rumble of a space shuttle's engines as you are immersed in a multimedia launch experience. This exhibit will get you up close and personal with artifacts and actual flight hardware.

Gaze overhead at the star field projected on the ceiling and lose yourself in the heavens. See the newest and most spectacular imagery from the Chandra X-ray and Hubble Space Telescopes updated daily.

Visitors will experience interactive simulations that include driving the Mars Rover, a NASA Mission Planner, piloting a shuttle launch, Space Station docking and video Q & A with active and retired astronauts.

Meet Klingons, Ferengi and the dreaded Borg, learn the ways of the Force as the Bush Museum explores the pop culture phenomenon of science fiction with artifacts and costumes from Star Trek and Star Wars.

For more about current exhibits, the Classic Film series, Issues Forum guests as well as fun, educational and entertaining Bush Museum Storytellers and other Education Department events, go online to http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu.

Warren Finch is director of the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum.

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