The Library Services Act has been a most heart-warming example of partnership between the Federal Government and the people. In 1956, there were 26 million persons without any public library service and 50 million more with inadequate services. Some 319 rural counties had no public library service. In the last 3 years, under the impetus of the Library Services Act, State funds for rural library services have increased 54 percent and local appropriations, 45 percent. The service has reached, for the first time, over 1 million rural children and adults, and 7.6 million more have received substantially increased services. There are about 200 new bookmobiles in operation, and more than 5 million books have been added to resources of rural communities.

Studies of the effect of the Library Services Act upon children are emphasizing what bookloving parents have always urged that the surest way, the most effective way, to build up in children the sound values which are a defense against trash and obscenity is to steep the children in good reading.

The theme of the present administration of our national organization is "Strengthening the Home Source of the Nation's Greatness," and one objective is to increase reading in the home. We have many projects and activities underway to accomplish this, including the amendment of the Library Services Act.

But there is still a job to be done. There are approximately 25 million people in rural areas without any public library service and millions more whose services are still inadequate. Many projects begun in the States during the first 3 years of the act are not yet completed. For example, in my own State of Maryland, with the help of the Library Services Act, we have established new county libraries, added new bookmobiles, opened new branch libraries, and spent more money for books; but we still have many uncompleted demonstrations and projects underway. Chief among these projects is our determination to establish six more county libraries and to improve the service in already established county systems. We need more books, more librarians, more branch libraries, more reference books, more area centers, more children's story hours, more records and films for teen-agers and adults, and more people of all ages using them.

Even

Our PTA's recognize libraries as an essential factor in education. We no longer think of education and learning in terms of years in school, but as something that continues and must be made available to everyone, and particularly to those in the more remote areas. though the support of our libraries in Maryland has increased substantially it now ranges from only 68 cents to $2.01 per person— which is far below the national standard of at least $3 per person. We are working to increase this support. Our State PTA Congress has on its State program of legislation such items as this:

To achieve adequate library service we actively support the establishment of public libraries and bookmobiles in the several counties in Maryland where such services are not now provided, and the improvement and expansion of others so that every citizen in every county may have free access to good reading and information, and guidance in its use.

Likewise, we urged county and State responsibility for financing public library buildings, and supported the full appropriation of $7.5 million for the Library Services Act.

The No. 1 item on the long list of recommendations to county councils and local PTA units is this:

1. If your county does not have a county library established by law, work toward that goal. If your county population is small and resources limited, cooperate with one or more adjoining counties.

PTA's in other States have even more impressive programs than Maryland. I mentioned Maryland because it was my own State and I knew most about it.

Many States are recognizing the need to establish scholarships of sufficient size to guarantee an adequate supply of professionally trained librarians. They are also concerned about the library needs of our rapidly expanding suburban areas. All over the country, PTA's have had demonstration bookmobiles parade at State fairs, formed countywide "Friends of the Library" groups, studied costs, supported good legislation for libraries, made an all-out effort to inform their membership and others that reading and libraries are the very heart of education and freedom with responsibility, and that all kinds of subjects are essential in this modern age of science and discovery. They have made surveys, emphasized teenage reading and librarianship as a career, used radio, television, the press, exhibits, literature, resolutions, special programs and activities to tell the story of what really good libraries can mean to individuals and communities. While we are doing all these things the demands and needs are increasing proportionately-and the increasing local and State effort still cannot completely finance all of these necessary services.

For these reasons the National Congress of Parents and Teachers feels strongly that an extension of the Library Services Act beyond 1961 is most essential. We urge, therefore, that your subcommittee give favorable consideration to the legislation now under consideration to extend the Library Services Act.

Mr. Chairman, we sincerely commend you and the members of your subcommittee for your interest and previous support. We are confident you will use your effective leadership to see that this act is extended so that this great wave of enthusiasm and momentum for support by the public can be utilized to the best advantage.

Thank you for the privilege, and the pleasure, of appearing before you today.

Mr. ELLIOTT. Thank you very much, Mrs. Bull, for a fine statement. I now recognize Mrs. Green for any questions she may have.

Mrs. GREEN. I would have no questions. I would join my chairman in commending you for your very excellent statement. As always, your statements before this committee are a pleasure to those of us who serve on this committee.

Mr. ELLIOTT. The gentleman from New Jersey.

Mr. DANIELS. No questions.

Mr. ELLIOTT. The gentleman from Connecticut.

Mr. GIAIMO. No questions.

Mr. ELLIOTT. Our next witness is Mr. Dwight D. Townsend, director of the Washington office, Cooperative League of the United States of America.

We are very happy to have you here, Mr. Townsend, and you may proceed in any manner you see fit.

54418-60-3

STATEMENT OF DWIGHT D. TOWNSEND, DIRECTOR, WASHINGTON OFFICE, COOPERATIVE LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Mr. TOWNSEND. Thank you. I have a short statement and I will read it, if I may.

My name is Dwight D. Townsend. I am director of the Washington office, Cooperative League of the United States of America.

It is a privilege to present to this committee the views of the Cooperative League of the United States of America on the bill to extend teh Library Services Act (H.R. 9812) for 5 years. We are happy to support this legislation which we feel is most important to a large segment of the U.S. population as proven since the enactment of the original legislation in 1956.

For the record, the Cooperative League is a national federation of consumer, purchasing, and service cooperatives owned by 13 million family members throughout the United States. These people are members of cooperatives organized to serve the consumer interest in the fields of farm supplies, petroleum, credit, electric energy, insurance, consumer goods, medical care, housing, and other fields. These 13 million members constitute the largest organized group of consumers in the United States.

The Library Services Act expires on June 30, 1961, and we feel it is imperative that the Congress approve this legislation in order that the program, which is already underway, may continue without hesitation. There are almost 25 million people in the United States without access to local public libraries. More than 250 counties do not have any single public library within their borders.

As is true with many other services which are essential to the welfare of the people, the rural areas tend to be the last served because thinly settled areas are more expensive to serve than the cities and other populated centers. For that reason the farm family is the last to secure many essential services.

It is equally important to develop and maintain our human resources as it is to build production resources and physical plants. It is particularly important to develop these human resources from which a more than proportionate share of our future citizens will come.

The bill before you can provide access to libraries to these people at a cost which is measured at a few cents per capita.

The library services bill, by its very nature, is one designed to stimulate local interest and local activity in the development of rural libraries. The funds provided in this bill-$7.5 million per year for 5 years-are to be matched by the States. Allocation of Federal funds to each State is according to the percentage of the rural population of that State compared to the percentage of rural population in the Nation as a whole. Each State is to match the contributions from the Federal fund on a formula which puts the local contribution on the basis of the per capita income in the State compared to the per capita income nationally.

The general principle under which the library services bill would operate is one which is a long-standing American tradition. We have used similar legislation to help States solve their own problems in

vocational education, highway construction, agricultural extension, and the control of disease. Now that most of the farm homes have rural electrification, brought to them largely through cooperatives, borrowing funds and technical assistance from the Government, it is now particularly advantageous to make library service available to those families so that the farm boy and girl, who have a measure of leisure time, can use it for education and culture, and the farmer and the farmer's wife can have access to books for their own continuing education.

We strongly urge that the full amount be appropriated in view of the fact that inflation has taken its toll. The increase in the cost of books, periodicals, bookmobiles, and other items have made it impossible for the States to accomplish what was originally planned a few years ago. Higher costs mean less equipment, labor, and printed materials.

We feel that many States have come a long way in providing library services since the act was initiated. We wholeheartedly give this measure our full support.

Mr. Chairman, we want to thank you and the committee for the opportunity to present the views of the Cooperative League. Mr. ELLIOTT. Thank you very much, Mr. Townsend.

Any questions, Mrs. Green?

Mrs. GREEN. I have no questions.

Mr. ELLIOTT. The gentleman from New Jersey?

Mr. DANIELS. No questions.

Mr. ELLIOTT. The gentleman from Connecticut?

Mr. GIAIMO. Mr. Townsend, do you foresee any difficulty on the part of the States in finding the funds to match ours?

Mr. TOWNSEND. In discussions with our groups they rather look forward to the Federal Government leading out in this sort of thing. This is a cooperative effort which it seems to me encourages the kind of participation that we ought to encourage.

Mr. GIAIMO. In other words, then, you do not foresee any difficulty? Mr. TOWNSEND. No, I do not.

Mr. GIAIMO. Are you speaking for all the States or for the States serviced by the Cooperative League?

Mr. TOWNSEND. Actually I am speaking for the ones serviced by the Cooperative League, which is a very large number in total. Mr. GIAIMO. How many?

Mr. TOWNSEND. Thirty-nine of the fifty.

Mr. GIAIMO. Thirty-nine States?

Mr. TOWNSEND. Yes.

Mr. GIAIMO. And they are mainly the rural States, are they? Mr.TOWNSEND. Yes, they are.

Mr. GIAIMO. Do they cover any States in the East?

Mr. TOWNSEND. Yes, they do.

Mr. GIAIMO. What States are they?

Mr. TOWNSEND. Practically all of them, sir. I do not know of any State in the Northeast or east coast until we get to Florida that we would exclude in that group.

Mr. GIAIMO. I wanted to bring that our because many people think of the East as industrial States, and while there are large industrial centers there are also many rural areas that need this service.

Mr. TOWNSEND. Indeed, I would agree they need it in all of the States.

Mr. GIAIMO. Thank you very much.

Mr. ELLIOTT. Thank you very much, Mr. Townsend.

That brings to a close the witnesses scheduled for today. And may I congratulate all the witnesses on bringing fine, stimulating, and thought-provoking statements.

We will now adjourn these hearings until Wednesday, April 6. On Wednesday, April 6, here in what we call the caucus room in the Old House Office Building, we will resume.

The committee will stand adjourned.

(Thereupon, at 11:50 a.m., the subcommittee adjourned until Wednesday, April 6, 1960, at 10 a.m.)