Dean Powell then spoke on several great western librarians, their lasting favorable effects on their communities, aspiring young authors, and budding scholars. He cited Maude Sullivan who inspired and guided the growth of the El Paso Public Library and helped Tom Lea depict frontier life honestly and durably. He also honored Althea Warren, former head of the Los Angeles Public Library, who had led him to become a librarian and later "fired" him. in order that he might join and "someday perhaps direct" the UCLA Library, a prediction that came true. Powell said Miss Warren epitomized the "head (full of historical wisdom), heart (yea saying), and hands (willing) triangle" of library service. Austin Wright, lawyer, law teacher, novelist, adventurer, amateur naturalist was praised by Powell who, currently working on an article about Wright, enlisted the help of several members of the audience who had known the author and might be able to answer the unsolved question, Who was the skipper of the Mary A? Powell ended by describing Isaac Foote, the English public servant, book collector, and father of illustrious sons, whose 80,000-volume library was recently purchased by the University of California for its several campuses. After a shifting of chairs into a discussion circle, the 35 community leaders then discussed the problems and prospects of each type of library in Santa Barbara. It was estimated that there were at least 50 institutional and 500 to 1,000 home libraries, every one of which probably contained a number of obsolete and inferior books while lacking many important and superior works. Needs for stronger library resources in science and technology, history, and foreign languages were mentioned. Staff shortages, excessive workloads, lack of branch libraries in outlying residential areas, heavy use of libraries of all types by students, rapid evolution of the young adults' service at the public library, aided by the Rotary Club; the fallacy of waiting for large private philanthropy to remedy library deficiencies; the connection between superior libraries and regional progress; the strengths and weaknesses of the several types of libraries serving Santa Barbara; the merits of paperback books versus data processing machines and "fully automated human-staffless libraries of the future"; and the efficacy of national library standards were discussed. CONSENSUS 1. Steeply increased demands for all types of library service in Santa Barbara and its environs, exemplified by the growth of public library circulation from 573,000 in 1958 to 805,000 in 1961, presents a critical problem, requiring for its solution a high level of sustained cooperation and innovation. 2. A coordinating committee representing all active local and regional organizations should be formed to gather, collate, and publish a joint statement of the goals and plans of each institutional library in the Santa Barbara region. 3. Concerted efforts should be made to eliminate needless duplication of library resources and services; achieve economies in conservation and use of books and experienced personnel; and remedy glaring deficiencies in library facilities and services. 4. Permanent, publicly owned branch libraries, needed in the new suburban areas, might be built sooner if building costs could be sharply reduced. According to Dr. Gray, a fully representative coordinating committee is now in process of being appointed to explore and follow through on the conclusions and recommendations generated by the conference. THE LIBRARY GAP Is the widely publicized "missile gap" related to the rapidly widening "library gap" of which few Americans are aware? The following article spotlights the U.S.S.R.'s phenomenal library expansion since World War II. While California's public library resources have declined over 30 percent since 1940, Russia's have grown 15 times larger. This article, titled "Win the World With Libraries," by Thomas Dreier, chairman, Florida State Library Board, appeared in Library Journal, January 15, 1961. It is reproduced with the author's and publisher's generous permission and is being widely circulated among business, civic, and governmental leaders. Your reactions and comments are earnestly invited. WM. EMERSON HINCHLIFF, Librarian, Santa Barbara Public Library. All of us must face the fact that Russia is seeking world domination. It is possible that Russia will succeed. Only one thing will enable Russia to triumph. It will not be a material thing: not sputniks nor missiles nor explosive material of any kind. Such things, despite the billions of dollars invested in them, are details. What will enable Russia to win is its possession of more mental capital than the people of the free world develop, and the more efficient use of that mental capital. Russia is making available to its people the accumulated experiences and ideas of the ages. One way in which this is being done is through building public libraries at fantastic speed. Look at some figures. In 1914 Czarist Russia had 13,876 libraries. Then came the revolution. The struggle with illiteracy was coupled with the introduction of written languages for over 40 nationalities. By 1940 the number of public libraries had risen to some 94,400, with 184,767,000 volumes. The Second World War worked great library destruction: some 43,000 libraries were ruined and over a million volumes looted or destroyed. Only 38,600 public libraries with just under 100 million books were left. After the war the restoration program started again. By 1957 a total of 144,300 public libraries with 652,687,000 volumes had been reached. At present, according to Dr. Gottlieb in Library Review, summer of 1959, there are 394,000 libraries of all types. They contain 1,500 million volumes-734 books for every 100 inhabitants of the U.S.S.R. Now pause and ask: "How many university, college, school, and public libraries are there in the United States?" Brace yourself for a shock. We have only 25,000. Of these, only about 7,500 are public. That isn't all. When Pat Frank, one of Florida's topflight novelists and special correspondents, spoke at a meeting of the St. Petersburg Friends of the Library, he told about going to Washington on assignment to write an Air Force article. He sought technical data. Some facts he wanted were in Russian publications that were in Washington but had not been translated. They had not been translated because our Government, generous in pouring billions into armament, had provided only a pittance for making available ideas offered by the scientists of the world. This Dr. E. Finley Carter, of Stanford Research Institute, tells us that Russia has its All-Union Institute of Scientific and Technical Information. It analyzes, abstracts, cross-indexes, and distributes ideas from all over the world. bureau employs 2,500 full-time and from 10,000 to 20,000 part-time, highly qualified translators to keep abreast of all progress in science. It reads essentially all the scientific journals of the world. It is said to translate over 11,000 foreign scientific journals. To meet competition in that field, what does the United States do? We translate fewer than 200. We were told recently that Russia is planning what may be called an International Friendship University, or something like that. They will bring to that university bright young men and women from the satellite and other countries, pay their transportation to and from Moscow, and all expenses during their college course. This is a sort of concentrated Rhodes Scholarship plan. These returned students, their minds enriched by Russia, will be expected to become agents of Russian good will in their own lands. All that is a manifestation of respect for ideas for mental capital. It is clear that the Russian leaders recognize the conquering power of trained minds. That is why they pour millions into their public libraries. What is the attitude of our city, county, State, and national officials, with rare exceptions, toward public libraries? It is one of almost complete apathy and indifference. A university or college without a library is unthinkable. "Give me a library and I'll build your university around it," said Benjamin Ide Wheeler when he was asked to start the University of California. It should also be unthinkable that any community or city or county can function properly without offering public library facilities to citizens. What can be done to rid ourselves of the clammy burden of apathy and indifference? Shall we continue to be victims of complacency? Shall we demonstrate that we are worshipers of things? Perhaps we need to read and reread what George Kennan said to a Washington audience: "If you ask me -as a historian-whether a country in the state this country is in today-with no highly developed sense of national purpose, with an overwhelming accent of life on personal comfort and amusement, with a dearth of public services, and a surfeit of privately sold gadgetry, with a chaotic trans portation system *** with insufficient social discipline even to keep its major industries functioning without grievous interruptions-has over the long run good chances of competing with a purposeful, serious, and disciplined society such as that of the Soviet Union, I must say that the answer is 'No!" " To create a free world, a world most of us Americans prefer to love, we cannot permit Russia or any other country to surpass us in the creation and use of mental capital. And public libraries provide this capital for people of all ages and races. THOMAS DREIER, Chairman, Florida State Library Board, and Chairman of Friends of the Library, St. Petersburg, Fla. EMPORIA, KANS., June 26, 1962. CLEVELAND M. BAILEY, Chairman, General Subcommittee on Education, The entire professional staff organization of 16 from the William Allen White Memorial Library of Kansas State Teachers College, of Emporia, heartily endorses proposed amendments to the Library Services Act. Extension of aid to college libraries and library training institutions is most encouraging and well nigh mandatory in the face of rising enrollments, vast increases in book and periodical costs and desperate shortage of librarians. We earnestly support the thoughtfulness and labors of your committee in making these amendments a reality. MAJORIE G. WILLIAMS, Hon. CLEVELAND M. BAILEY, DEPARTMENT OF RURAL EDUCATION, NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, Chairman, General Subcommittee on Education, DEAR CONGRESSMAN BAILEY: The Department of Rural Education, NEA, which is composed largely of county and rural area school superintendents, congratulates you on your sponsorship of H.R. 11823, to expand the Library Services Act. The department members have observed from firsthand experience the remarkable contribution to our rural citizens of improved library services under the present Library Services Act. The need for expanding and extending this kind of service is widely recognized. It is gratifyingly evidenced by your sponsorship of H.R. 11823 and also by the similar bills introduced by so many of your colleagues. The department particularly urges passage of titles I and II of H.R. 11823, though it supports the purposes of the entire bill. Titles I and II conform specifically with department policy by channeling Federal funds through the proper State agencies. We specifically urge, however, that section 203, title II, page 15, line 5, be amended by adding "and intermediate administrative units" after the word "local." This, then, would provide, in those States where it is practical, for the county or other rural area education offices to be the cooperating agency with the State education department. Unfortuantely in one or two States, State attorney general's rulings have not permitted this method of operation of Federal programs because the Federal act did not specifically mention the intermediate unit office. We request that permissive language as noted above be inserted to clear up this technicality. It might be necessary to achieve this purpose to amend section 3, "Definitions" to include an additional definition following the present definition (10) as follows: "(11) The term "intermediate administrative unit" means a system of or ganization of local public school systems under an administrative structure which functions between the State education departments and the local school district. I am enclosing a pamphlet which will explain this structure in detail." Again we wish to commend you for this further evidence of your continuing outstanding dedication to improving the educational opportunity of our Nation. Sincerely, ROBERT M. ISENBERG, Executive Secretary. NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, Hon. CLEVELAND M. BAILEY, Washington, D.C. DEAR CONGRESSMAN BAILEY: The National Education Association commends you, and all sponsors of similar bills, on the introduction of H.R. 11823, the Library Services Act. This is further evidence of your consistently outstanding support of sound educational programs for children and adults. Enclosed is the official statement of Mr. Ewald Turner, president of the National Education Association. Mr. Turner deeply regrets that he cannot appear at the hearings in person. As you know, the NEA convention and representative assembly is meeting in Denver, Colo., July 1-6, and there are several important conferences in which President Turner must participate prior to the representative assembly. You, and the distinguished members of your subcommittee, recognize that the presentation of a written statement in no way indicates a lack of enthusiastic support of H.R. 11823. We are with you all the way. Sincerely, JOHN M. LUMLEY, Director, Division of Federal Relations. STATEMENT BY EWALD TURNER, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, the National Education Association urges the passage of H.R. 11823, to expand the Library Services Act, as basic to the improvement of educational opportunity at all levels. The platform of the NEA lists as one of the goals of the association, "Adequate library resources in every community." The NEA believes that title I of H.R. 11823 will be an important step toward achieving this objective. The Area Redevelopment Act and the Manpower Training Act pointed up the need for expanded community public library services. The excellent experience gained under the present Library Services Act demonstrates how effective the stimulation of Federal funds for library purposes can be to the States. Title II of H.R. 11823 provides for assistance to the States for improving public school library services. This is a sound proposal, providing for State control of the program and providing wide latitude to the States in implementing various methods of achieving improved school library services. A good school library is essential to a quality school program. There is evidence that library services in many public schools have been seriously neglected. It can be assumed that the economic pressure caused by increased enrollments and costs often results in such services being sacrificed to demands for additional classrooms and teachers. Therefore, assistance such as proposed in H.R. 11823, title II, is most desirable at this time. Title III providing library services grants to institutions of higher education is a corollary to title II and should be of great assistance in improving the libraries of colleges and universities. Title IV is an essential part of a it is perhaps the most essential part. professional library training. sound library services program. Indeed, There is a great need for individuals with The National Education Association again commends all those Members of Congress who in the past have supported the Library Services Act and particularly those who have introduced bills identical to H.R. 11823. We urge the passage of the act. Mr. BAILEY. It is a pleasure to have with us this morning the Honorable Tom Steed of Oklahoma and our first witness will be the presi dent of the Oklahoma Agricultural College and I would like for Mr. Steed to introduce him. Mr. STEED. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, it is a privilege for me to have this opportunity to be here today and to make a brief statement and to present one of my warm personal friends, and most prominent constituents. As the chairman knows, my interest in the subject matter before the subcommittee today is of long standing. I was one of the cosponsors of the original Library Services Act and more recently being chairman of the Legislative Appropriations Committee, I have had an opportunity to preside over the budget for the great Library of Congress and have become more and more familiar with the details and operations of that institution and its relationship to the whole library program throughout the country and the world. As the chairman knows our committee has seen fit to make available additional moneys in the last 2 years to the Library of Congress to permit it to expand its acquisition of materials worldwide for dispensation throughout the United States especially in university and research libraries and the reaction has been so great that we now realize that we have just more or less scratched the surface in this field. I think the bill today which would expand this program comes at a very opportune time and will be probably one of the most important steps that we can take in making this very vital contribution to the entire educational program throughout the country at a time when this sort of development is so vital to our future and to our national security. Mr. Chairman, in my congressional district is situated the great land grant university, the Oklahoma State University. It is one of the largest in the United States and one that has attracted worldwide attention for its achievements. Today we have the president of that great university, Dr. Oliver Willham, and the head of the library of that university Mr. Edmon Low here and it is a real privilege and a pleasure for me to present these two fine gentlemen to you today. Mr. BAILEY. Thank you, Mr. Steed. Dr. Willham, you may further identify yourself to the reporter if that is necessary and introduce your associate there and proceed with your testimony. STATEMENT OF DR. OLIVER S. WILLHAM, PRESIDENT, OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY; ACCOMPANIED BY EDMON LOW, LIBRARIAN, OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY Mr. WILLHAM. First may I thank Congressman Steed for his kind remarks. This is our librarian at the Oklahoma State University, Mr. Edmon Low, who is with me here. I have with me here a statement in behalf of the American Council on Education that they would like to have included in the record of the hearings before this subcommittee in favor of H.R. 11823 and the related bills. |