IMPLEMENTATION OF 1963 ACT

In your printed testimony, Mr. Rowell, you state that the 1963 Vocational Education Act's provisions concerning library materials and services have not been fully put into effect.

Could you expand on that?

Mr. ROWELL. From my experience as a State supervisor working in State agencies and in two States I think I can identify to some degree what the reasons for this may be. One is that the language in the 1963 Act does not specifically say school library, and, therefore, it is sometimes overlooked.

Secondly, until very recently, and then only as a result of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, many States did not have school library representation at the State level. People who would be aware of such provisions and make the necessity of the school library known to the other people in the agencies who were directing the vocational educational problems, there was a lack of dissemination of information to the local level that these provisions were indeed there. In some States such provisions were ignored in State plans, that they could receive Federal moneys to develop their instructional material programs as they were developing other parts of their technical and vocational educational programs.

This is changing, and this is changing dramatically. The need has been recognized on both sides of the fence. The vocational-technical education people have recognized the need for additional instructional materials and for professional guidance in the selection of the use of those materials. School library people have recognized that there is a world out there to be served other than the academically oriented world which they have been principally concerned with and prior to this were concerned with this in the past.

Senator MORSE. In your prepared statement you make a comment that it is very important and that we need to have a little more education about this problem. You say, "It has been estimated by vocational school librarians and professional personnel at the educational resources information center clearing house and the center for research and leadership development in vocational and technical education that 80 percent of the materials utilized in their collection have not heretofore been classified in the general school library collection. Yet, the materials are available, their sources are proliferating, and the need for them is increasing as the quality and quantity of the educational programs and the students enrolling in them increases."

Are there provisions in this bill which, in your opinion, could be made very helpful in increasing the percentage of classification of these materials into the general school library selections?

Mr. ROWELL. There are provisions to some degree. We do not think that they are strong enough provisions or that they are highlighted to the degree to which they are responsible for successful programs.

For example, one of the reasons why much of this material has not been identified and selected is the fact that there are not professionally competent specialists available on the staffs of the schools to do this work. Therefore, institute programs for training librarians who have essentially a liberal arts background, to train them to these technical sources and resources, should be provided from this bill. These mate

rials are of a highly specialized nature. They are not identified in part as part of the school librarian's normal professional training because they have not been, unfortunately, incorporated into the world of work in the schools during the past. Now they are.

Now, on the basis of formal training through institutes concentrating on this for librarians, this problem could be largely solved. Senator MORSE. It just seems to me that there is a great need for filling this gap?

Mr. ROWELL. A tremendous need. It is shocking that it has not been filled.

(The comments subsequently supplied for the record follow :)

COMMENTS OF JOHN ROWELL ON THE DRAFT BILL OF THE HOUSE
ON VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

In accordance with your request at the Senate Education Subcommittee hearing on April 3, 1968, to review each of the points regarding library resources. in the draft bill of the House and comment on the differences between that bill and the Amendments recommended by ALA (Rowell testimony, Attachment A), I am submitting the following information.

The principal differences in the section, "Library Resources, Instructional Materials and Equipment, and Services," are as follows: the amounts for library resources, Subsection (1) and construction and remodeling, Subsection (2); in the effective dates for construction, Subsection (2) and for institutes for advanced study, Subsection (3); and the duration of the authorizations in Subsections (2) and (3).

The amount of $5 million in the House bill is wholly inadequate for the acquisition of vocational library resources, instructional materials, and also equipment and services. With more than 7 million students enrolled in vocational-technical education programs in FY 1967, this would provide only about $60 per pupil.

The average cost of a technical book is about $11.00. A film strip costs $7.50 to $10.50. A projector costs about $200.00. If the appropriated funds are also to be spent for the more sophisticated and viable education devices being used with increased success in academically-oriented situations, such as closed circuit TV, programmed learning and computerized instruction, the costs rise proportionately. For example, equipping a losed circuit TV studio would cost at least $22,500.

To meet minimum requirements under recognized national standards, a school system should spend 6 percent of its total operational cost for instructional materials. This percentage does not include equipment or the initial cost of establishing a basic library collection.

The initial cost in establishing a library program involves the largest single cost. As the program develops, more schools are opened, enrollment increases, and additional funds will be required.

All other programs in the bill begin in fiscal year 1969. To be effective, such programs need library resources and services from the beginning. To properly house and service instructional materials, collections and equipment, it is essential that adequate facilities be provided at the time these collections are being established. Therefore, the authorization for construction and remodeling of facilities to develop or expand library media centers in vocational education schools and programs likewise should begin in fiscal year 1969. All elements of the total program should develop at a uniform rate.

In considering the amount of money necessary for facilities, it should be noted that national standards recommend space for a seating capacity of 30 to 40 percent of the school's enrollment. In addition, space is required for preparation, and housing of materials and for storage of equipment.

Senator MORSE. Dr. Venn, I will be delighted to have you make any comments or raise any questions that you care to.

Mr. VENN. Well, I have to agree with Mr. Rowell about the need for these libraries. I just do not believe there is any question about this, Mr. Chairman, the need is great. As I listened to his testimony and saw

it for the first time, the question occurred to me as to whether the best approach would be to provide special library programs and moneys in the Vocational Education Act, or whether we should not provide for special programs under the overall library umbrella, and that funding of these kinds of programs, and I would not say yes or no, I would simply raise this question as to whether it might not fit best into the overall library programs.

One of the things that causes me concern would be to have our vocational and technical programs, as they develop into separate facilities, to be isolated completely from the overall school system and the overall school program. I think that has been some of our problem in vocational education, that students have sort of had to make a choice to leave the regular school program and move to a vocational program, which we hope this bill will, of course, give us a little closer connection.

INSTITUTE PROGRAMS FOR SPECIALIZED LIRBARIANS

We do have an institute program for the first time this year for librarians other than school librarians that is under the previous NDEA Act, and I would agree with Mr. Rowell and hope that we can begin to develop institutes for the specialized kinds of librarians. There is no question this is needed. I think the fact, however, that it has not moved along this fast has been due to the items Mr. Rowell has mentioned and also to the fact that many of these materials are just now becoming available with the expansion of the 1963 act just now beginning to get into the new occupational areas and the new technical fields.

I would have to agree that the need is great. I think the push has been, up to this time, to get the facilities to get the program going, because it was not really until 1965 that the States had any significant increase in vocational funds.

So, I would have to think just in this very cursory review of this material and say that the need is there, and say whether it should be identiffied specifically in the vocational legislation or whether it should be added to the overall library education. That would be a question.

Senator MORSE. Thank you very much.

Do you have any further comment, Mr. Rowell?

Mr. ROWELL. I agree with this, and I think that in principle for the new material this is where the support comes. I would like to repeat, however, that one of the big problems in the nonutilization of provisions which have already been made in the Vocational Act of 1963 has been the problem of articulation between vocational technical educators and the school library profession. Should such a piece of legislation be included in this bill this would dramatize to them the fact that these services, materials are available and should be included in it.

AUSTIN, TEX., HEARING COMMENT

Senator MORSE. Thank you very much, Mr. Rowell. We appreciate it very much.

I want to welcome the Senator from Texas, Mr. Yarborough, to the hearing again this morning.

I have already made a statement in the record expressing my great appreciation for the great service you rendered to the committee last Friday at Austin. It was very kind of you to do it and I have expressed myself for the record, which you will be able to read before the day is out.

I publicly, in your presence, want to thank you for the great job you

did.

Senator YARBOROUGH. I am grateful, Mr. Chairman, for the privilege of serving on this, what I consider the most important subcommittee in the U.S. Senate in what it has done for American education in the past 10 years.

It is a great pleasure and privilege to serve under your chairmanship, and I want to thank you for yesterday.

I returned from Texas from that hearing over the weekend but I had to go back yesterday morning. I had to go back yesterday and I was back last night, and I regret that I missed Mr. Rowell's statement from the American Library Association because the chairman and I have worked shoulder to shoulder to improve library facilities. That is one of my fields of great interest. I worked with the school library at Sam Houston State College in Huntsville, Tex. while I was a student. I worked in a law library of the University of Texas while I was a law student part time, and I have had-if I were not a Senator or a lawyer I think I would want to be a librarian.

TESTIMONY OF CONGRESSMAN PATMAN

Senator MORSE. Senator, I want to say that I expressed your regrets to Congressman Wright Patman yesterday and explained to him why you couldn't be here, but when you read the transcript you will be very pleased with his response, because he paid you a very high and a very deserved tribute and asked me to extend to you his compliments and he understood fully why you couldn't be here yesterday. Senator YARBOROUGH. Well, I thank the distinguished chairman

for his kindness.

Senator MORSE. The next witness will be Mr. Elkins, president of the Elkins Institute of Radio & Electronics, and he has his associate with him, Mr. Ehrlich.

We are delighted to have you, Mr. Ehrlich and Mr. Elkins.
You may proceed in your own way.

STATEMENT OF WILLIAM ELKINS, PRESIDENT, ELKINS INSTITUTE OF RADIO AND ELECTRONICS; DALLAS, TEX., ACCOMPANIED BY BERNARD EHRLICH

Mr. ELKINS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and with the Chair's permission, I would like to have the entire testimony in the record, but I would divert, with your permission, from time to time and omit.

Senator MORSE. The Chair rules that Mr. Elkins' prepared statement will be inserted in the record at this point, and you may summarize it at your discretion.

(The prepared statement of Mr. Elkins follows:)

PREPARED STATEMENT OF BILL ELKINS, PRESIDENT, ELKINS INSTITUTE OF RADIO AND ELECTRONICS, DALLAS, TEX.

I am Bill Elkins. I am President of the Elkins Institute of Radio and Electronics, an independent trade and technical school located in Dallas, Texas. Branch schools are located in Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; New Orleans. Louisiana and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Training programs offered include Broadcasting, Radio and Television Repairs, Electronics Technician and Photographic Laboratory Technology. In addition, I have had over 30 years of experience in the fields of education and electronics. I have served as teacher, principal and administrator in public schools and also served on the staff of Texas A & M University. I am the immediate Past President of Region VII of the National Rehabilitation Association and currently Chairman of Region X for Statewide Planning for Vocational Rehabilitation in Texas.

In addition, I appear before you as President of the National Association of Trade and Technical Schools. Our purpose is to establish and maintain sound educational standards and ethical business practices within the proprietary trade and technical school field. The Accrediting Commission of the National Association of Trade and Technical Schools has been recognized and approved by the U.S. Office of Education as a "nationally recognized accrediting agency" under various federal laws.

For the most part, the schools which I represent are well established educational institutions which were founded from 25 to more than 50 years ago and in some cases, over more than 100 years ago. Today, it is estimated that some 7,000 private institutions in this nation are offering trade and technical programs to approximately one million students.

HISTORY OF PRIVATE TRADE AND TECHNICAL SCHOOLS

Private trade and technical schools have played a most important and significant role in the annals of American education. Much of the latent powers and greatness of this nation can be traced to the unique characteristics and contributions of our multi-purposed and varied types of educational organizations and institutions. Among these diversified educational organizations, few have served with greater distinction than did the private trade and technical school; none have been more underrated.

In peace and in war, in prosperity and in depression, the private trade and technical school has demonstrated its worth. In many towns and cities, the private trade and technical school has been the single most important adjunct to a public school system oriented all too frequently in favor of the college-bound student.

For over a century now the private trade and technical schools have opened their doors to the high school dropout; to the ex-G.I.; to the high school graduate, to the college dropout; such schools have encouraged the young teenager and the older adult to seek more meaningful lives through vocational and technical competency.

During the critical days of World War I and World War II, the private trade and technical schools were an important source of trained manpower, both for industry and the Armed Forces. And today, the battle for higher standards of living for all our people may well rest upon our ability to educate and train millions of the disadvantaged-to help them to attain vocational and technical skills.

Such competency has great inherent values in addition to being a necessity and obvious asset to industrial and economic growth and development of this nation: such competency provides for individual confidence, self-esteem and general happiness.

PHILOSOPHY OF PRIVATE TRADE AND TECHNICAL SCHOOLS ON FEDERAL AID TO EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Through the years, private trade and technical schools have asked for little assistance from government agencies-federal, state or local. Despite the desire to continue this independence and to retain their ability to be financially self-supporting, it is agreed that if education is a primary ingredient for a great and ever-improving society, it follows that the national educational requirement is of