Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, we believe this is desirable legislation and should be enacted.

I am at your disposal, Mr. Chairman, to reply to any questions you may have.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much, Dr. Pearlman, for your presentation here in behalf of the American Dental Association and the American Association of Dental Schools. Are there any questions by members of the committee?

We are very glad to have your statement.

Permit the Chair to inquire: Is there anybody here who is going to appear in opposition to this legislation?

If not, we will have Dr. Gordon Heath.

STATEMENT OF DR. GORDON G. HEATH, PROFESSOR OF OPTOMETRY, INDIANA UNIVERSITY, BLOOMINGTON, IND., REPRESENTING THE AMERICAN OPTOMETRIC ASSOCIATION

Dr. HEATH. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. Dr. Heath, we are very glad to have your statement. I am going to suggest, however, as I have to the others, that your statement be filed for the record and you summarize it.

Dr. HEATH. I intend to do just that, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. The CHAIRMAN. Very well. You may proceed accordingly.

Dr. HEATH. Just to identify myself, I am a professor of optometry at Indiana University, and chairman of the graduate school program in physiological optics there. I am also serving on two committees for the American Optometric Association, which organization I represent today. One of these committees is the committee on new academic facilities.

So, we have been greatly concerned with the planning for, among other things, the library facilities at new prospective schools of optometry throughout the country.

I am also past president of the Association of Schools & Colleges of Optometry.

Now both of these organizations, the American Optometric Association and the Association of Schools & Colleges of Optometry, are concerned about the present wording of the bill. We support the bill, but we are concerned about the definition within the bill of "sciences related to health."

This definition states that it includes medicine, osteopathy, dentistry, public health, and fundamental and applied sciences when related thereto.

We do not believe that it was the intent of the authors of the bill to exclude optometry from any of the provisions of the bill, but interpretation of the present wording could omit this health care specialty, and therefore we respectfuly request that on page 3, section 391, line 22, after the word "dentistry" the word "optometry" be inserted. This amendment will in no way change the intent of the bill, but simply continues the precedent that Congress established in the Health Professions Educational Assistance Acts of 1963 and 1965.

Now libraries in the optometry schools and colleges are unique because they are so very interdisciplinary. The materials in these libraries are selected from a great many other disciplines, physics, mathematics, biological sciences, as well as the strictly optometric

publications. So, a properly constituted optometry library represents a very careful and very specialized collection of both volumes and periodicals.

Currently our optometry libraries have been developed and maintained almost exclusively in the optometry schools and the universities that have schools of optometry. These libraries are used widely by others than optometrists. Any individual working in science fields in research or in the applied visual science areas very frequently tap these optometry library sources simply because the personnel are there and are familiar with the materials and are able to render more specialized aid than they can obtain through the central libraries.

Mr. Chairman, you have requested also that we supply data in terms of dollar needs. I have supplied some data on the sizes and facilities of libraries in my submitted statement. I would like the privilege of submitting later to you a summary so far as it can be determined from our schools of their needs translated into dollars for the purposes of your committee.

The CHAIRMAN. How much time would you need?

Dr. HEATH. I think within the next week I can submit that.

The CHAIRMAN. That will be too late.

Dr. HEATH. Within the next 3 days?

The CHAIRMAN. Yes, we would want it this week.

Dr. HEATH. All right. I will endeavor to get those figures for you. (The information referred to follows:)

Estimated library facilities needed by optometry, next 5 years

1 Current provisions for each of present 10 schools and colleges of optometry.
2 Estimated need for each of present 10 schools and colleges of optometry.
3 Square feet.

NOTE.-Figures based on provisions contained in H.R. 3142 (Medical Library Assistance Act of 1965).

Dr. HEATH. Now our plight is severe in the optometry libraries. It is a great deal smaller than that for the medical schools simply because we are numerically smaller and our holdings are smaller. So, in terms of dollars this is perhaps only a very small part of the total bill, the total need, but nevertheless to those working in this area it is an important feature.

Now we do heartily endorse the aims of this bill, and we respectfully urge its adoption and the adoption of the amendment that we have proposed.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

(Dr. Heath's full statement follows:)

STATEMENT BY GORDON G. HEATH, O.D., PH. D.

Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I am Gordon G. Heath and I live at 1206 Longwood Drive, Bloomington, Ind. At Indiana University my position is that of professor of optometry, and I also serve as chairman of the graduate school program in physiological optics.

I am here today as a representative for the American Optometric Association. Two association committees on which I serve are the committee on visual problems of children and youth and the committee on new academic facilities. The academic facilities committee works for the much needed establishment of several new schools and colleges of optometry at appropriate universities.

Also, I am past president of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry, an association of the schools and colleges accredited by the Council on Optometric Education. This council is recognized by the National Commission on Accreditation and the U.S. Office of Education as the accrediting body for optometric education.

Both the American Optometric Association and the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry are concerned about the current wording of H.R. 3142. As now written the bill defines the term "sciences related to health' includes medicine, osteopathy, dentistry, and public health, and fundamental, and applied sciences when related thereto."

We believe the bill should include optometry in all of its provisions. Interpretation of the present wording could omit this health care specialty. Therefore, we respectfully request that on page 3, section 391, line 22, after the word "dentistry" the word "optometry" be inserted.

The amendment in no way changes the purpose of this legislation, but instead continues the precedent Congress established when it recognized optometry as a health care profession by inclusion in the Health Professions Educational Assistance Act of 1963. Optometry is also included in the Health Professions Educational Assistance Amendments of 1965, legislation on which the Senate held hearings only last week. We feel that the insertion of the word "optometry" will prevent any future misunderstanding of congressional intent. The purpose of this bill, as we see it, is to improve communication. Communication between educational institutions and health care practitioners; communication between members of various health care disciplines; communication between students, researchers, and educators, and the population. This bill should help build communications between disciplines most concerned with the art and science of vision.

Libraries in optometry schools and colleges are unique because of the interdisciplinary nature of the profession. Our needs cannot be served by a general collection, but require instead careful selection from such fields as physics, psychology, and physiology, as well as the strictly optometric publications.

The wide range of materials which every optometry school should have available is exemplified by the attached listing (attachment A). Compiled by the Lionel Topaz Memorial Library of Visual Science at Ohio State University School of Optometry, the listing includes anatomy of the eye and nervous system, physical optics, metallurgy, and vision in art and industry, to mention just a few.

That optometry libraries serve a health service area of unusual importance is illustrated by action taken last year by the Indiana University Faculty Library Committee. With administrative status equivalent to the 13 other university branch libraries on campus, the university established an optometry library branch with a fully qualified librarian in charge. The action is more significant because the optometry collection represents only 4,000 items-expected to double within the next 10 years-in a university library system of almost 5 million volumes and over 100 academic departments and schools. It should be noted that the optometry branch library is the first addition by the committee in 27 years.

Currently, optometry libraries have been developed and maintained almost exclusively in connection with optometric training programs. Through cooperation of an optometric librarians' association and interlibrary loan arrangements, they have provided a resource for visual science information not provided by even the Library of Congress or the National Library of Medicine.

Many agencies, researchers, and students, unable to obtain desired information elsewhere, regularly tap these optometry libraries. In 1954 under the auspices of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry, the libraries of the member institutions drew up an agreement whereby each agreed to—

(1) Gather and preserve all serial publications published in an assigned geographical area primarily related to any or all phases of visual science;

and

(2) Make these publications available to all other libraries through the interlibrary loan arrangement.

Well over 200 periodicals are thus regularly preserved and made available to each library. Some of the publications are ophthalmic house organs, others publications of professional societies and organizations of the blind, and others promotional periodicals distributed by ophthalmic supply laboratories which often contain valuable technical information and statistics.

While serving as editor of the Indiana Journal of Optometry, I became acutely aware of the importance of library holdings. There were seven early issues of the Journal missing, and a 3-year search failed to turn up the missing publications. We were, therefore, unable to complete our set and reluctantly concluded available copies simply did not exist.

Anyone familiar with library development knows that to establish and maintain a worthwhile library both funds and hard work are essential. While libraries of optometry schools and colleges make a diligent and conscientious effort to acquire current publications and build their collections, they simply do not have the funds to do all they should. Attachment B shows totals of library materials as of 1964. At best, optometry school libraries today offer only limited facilities.

In the future there will be more demands from students, from research personnel, and from practitioners for library services. To fill the demands libraries must develop and improve their facilities and collections. They must refine their systems for indexing and cataloging. They must develop procedures for housing discarded volumes and reproduction of materials. To provide the vision care the American people have rightfully come to expect, we must have the tools to provide both the care and the research so essential to that care. Libraries in the health care field should be equipped to provide the needed information. Whether it be microfilming for discarded volumes or data processing for cataloging, the facilities must be available.

Because of the need for improved and up-dated library facilities at each of the country's schools and colleges of optometry, we strongly urge adoption of the proposed amendment and passage of the amended legislation.

ATTACHMENT A

ESSENTIAL OPTOMETRIC RESEARCH MATERIALS

(Compiled by Lionel Topaz Memorial Library of Visual Sciences,
Ohio State University School of Optometry)

1. Anatomy of the eye and nervous system.

2. Physiology of the eye and nervous system.

3. Comparative anatomy and physiology of the eye and comparative psychology of vision.

4. Physiological optics, including sensory mechanism of vision, the functions of the intraocular and extraocular muscles, and the image-forming mechanism of the eye.

5. Experimental psychology, including psychological optics.

6. Educational and industrial psychology.

7. Physical optics.

8. Meteorological optics.

9. Photography.

10. Geometrical optics.

11. Design, use, and manufacture of optical instruments.

12. Manufacture and dispensing of eyewear.

13. Manufacture and testing of optical glass.

14. Metallurgy, with special reference to metals used in the design of eyewear and optical instruments.

15. Eye examinations and visual testing and training.

16. Diseases of the eye and orbit and of the nervous system.

17. Illuminating engineering, including colorimetry.

18. Vision in art and industry.

19. Social, legal, economic, and professional aspects of eye care.

20. Dictionaries, handbooks, and books on statistics and mathematics used by researchers in the field of visual science.

ATTACHMENT B

Library holdings of 10 schools and colleges of optometry for 1964

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much. I am sure that you can, and will be given able asistance by the young man sitting to your right whom you have not yet identified.

Dr. HEATH. This is Mr. William McCracken. I think he is well known to all the members of this committee. He serves as Washington counsel for the American Optometric Association.

The CHAIRMAN. We are glad to have you again.

STATEMENT OF WILLIAM MCCRACKEN, WASHINGTON COUNSEL, AMERICAN OPTOMETRIC ASSOCIATION

Mr. MCCRACKEN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

As I listened to the testimony this morning, I could not help but be impressed with the fact that vision is the keystone of the utilization of all the libraries, whether it is medicine, law, education, or what. Optometry is the science of vision. So I think it should be included. The CHAIRMAN. Very good.

Mr. SPRINGER. Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask, Doctor, in your attachment B, Illinois College of Optometry has more than half of all the other library holdings under "other." Is there a reason for that?

Dr. HEATH. This is a summary that the schools put together without careful definition of all items that might come under "other." So this perhaps represents a categorical switch. You see, some of these might be classified as periodicals by the other schools. On the other hand, the Illinois College of Optometry also serves as a repository for the archives of several optometric associations or groups within optometry and the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry, for example, has its archives deposited in that library.

That would be one reason for an unduly large number of "other" materials at that particular repository.

Mr. SPRINGER. Thank you.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Pickle.