The Federal funds have definitely stimulated building activity, as evidenced by the fact that the $42 million in Federal funds has resulted in more than $28.5 million worth of public library construction. Last year, we got only $200,000 and were able to fund only two libraries. Most regretfully, we had to turn 12 projects down and they were good ones. We hope sincerely that this situation will be remedied. I would like to mention that I am speaking also for the American Association of State Libraries which strongly recommends a 5-year extension of LSCA beyond June 30, 1971. In the extension of the act, specific attention must be directed to library service to the disadvantaged, fiscal support for metropolitan public library services, increase in the relative importance of intertype library cooperation which is making great strides across the country, consideration of some consolidation of separate titles for administrative convenience and flexibility and last, but not least, strengthing of State library agencies, particularly with respect to their capacity for planning, research and evaluation. In this particular connection, I would like to mention the Ayres bill under which section 201, page 15, provides for 1 percent allocation of appropriations for program evaluation. We are deeply concerned about the need to evaluate the effectiveness of the various programs under LSCA and, indeed, there is need to evaluate the total LSCA program. I mention parenthetically, Mr. Chairman, that we have authorized a study of our New Jersey program by an outside agency and this is going on at the present time, but a number of factors are likely to affect the success of such an evaluation program: One, the placement of the responsibility; in other words, who is going to do it; two, the reporting requirements and, three, the scope and complexity of the program. It is our feeling that in considering where responsibility lies for evaluating a grant program such as LSCA a distinction should be made between the operating programs at State and local levels and the total program considered from the Federal viewpoint. The operation of programs may be evaluated objectively within the granting agency but not necessarily by the individual responsible for administration of the grants. The overall program should be reviewed and evaluated outside the granting agency. For this purpose the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science which this Congress has recently established would be ideal and it is legally empowered to act in this capacity. The nature and cost of evaluating a program is affected more by its scope and complexity than by its size. It will probably cost more to evaluate work in 10,000 units spending a total of $1 million than to evaluate work in 1,000 units spending a total of $10 million. For this reason, we would recommend that the cost of evaluating the program be justified through the regular appropriation process rather than be established as an automatic percentage over which Congress will have no control. In any case, the minimal funds appropriated to the States for programs should not be further reduced by the proposed percentage GOV'T. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NINETY-FIRST CONGRESS STANFORD NOV SECOND SESSION UNIVE ON H.R.6365 AND S. 3318 BILLS TO EXAND, CONSOLIDATE, AND IMPROVE PROGRAMS UNDER THE LIBRARY SERVICES AND CONSTRUCTION ACT DOCUMENT DEPARTMENT HEARING HELD IN WASHINGTON, D.C., SEPTEMBER 10, 1970 50-933 O Printed for the use of the Committee on Education and Labor U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE CONTENTS Allain, Alexander Peter, trustee, St. Mary Parish (County) Library, Doms, Keith, director, Free Library of Philadelphia, Pa.. Hathaway, Hon. William D., a Representative in Congress from the Lamkin, Burton E., Associate Commissioner for Libraries and Educa- tional Technology, Office of Education, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, accompanied by Dr. Albert L. Alford, Assistant Commissioner for Legislation; and Ray M. Fry, Director, McDonough, Roger H., director, State Library of New Jersey. Miller, Miss Helen M., State librarian of the State of Idaho_ Olsen, Hon. Arnold, a Representative in Congress from the State of Prepared statements, letters, supplemental material, etc.- Allain, Alexander Peter, trustee, St. Mary Parish (County) Library, Doms, Keith, director, Free Library of Philadelphia, Pa.: "Library Service Institutions-Pennsylvania," an article entitled_ Canaday, Dayton W., director, State Historical Society, State of 84 Erney, Richard A., acting director, State Historical Society of Wisconsin, letter from, dated February 18, 1970---- Gale, Frederick C., assistant State archivist, State of Nevada, Howard, Milo B., Jr., director, Department of Archives and History State of Alabama, letter from, dated December 1, 1969. Hunt, Edwin H., director, Department of Administration and Control, State of New Hampshire, letter from, dated Decem- Kahn, Herman, president, the Society of American Archivists, Kivett, Marvin F., director, Nebraska State Historical Society, |