4 That gentleman's grandchildren will not miss in their youththose of older generations missed, because the Library Services has provided the means for helping to satisfy their quest for k edge. I believe this is one of the finest programs for our Nation. is my humble plea the committee recommend the extension of the for another 5 years. Mr. Chairman, I just want to reiterate what the chairman has ready said in his opening statement. There is no more impor bill pending before the Congress than the continuation of this Libr Services Act. It is something which means so much to rural Amer especially in these challenging times when we are confronted w an adversary that is shrewd, cruel, and there should not be a sto left unturned in our fight against his onslaught. Mr. Chairman, I want to volunteer my services to you Mr. ELLIOTT. Without objection, the consent is granted. Mrs. GREEN. Mr. Chairman, I have no questions, except to tha Judge Trimble for coming before the subcommittee. I have durin my 6 years in the House learned to have tremendous admiration and respect for the Representative from Arkansas. I must say when h puts his stamp of approval on a bill, it carries great weight with me Mr. TRIMBLE. Thank you. Mr. ELLIOTT. Thank you very much, Judge Trimble. The next witness from whom we shall hear is Mr. Reuben Johnson. who was originally scheduled to testify last today but who has asked if it would be possible for him to testify earlier, as he has to run to participate in one of the White House conference groups. Mr. Johnson has worked for the Farmers Union legislative program as a staff member of its legislative office since 1954. Mr. Johnson, we are happy to have you, and you may proceed with your statement. STATEMENT OF REUBEN JOHNSON, COORDINATOR, LEGISLATIVE Mr. JOHNSON. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate very much your allowing me to make a very brief oral statement at this point. I think this program, and the results achieved under it, speaks Delegates to the convention of the National Farmers Union in We have done quite a bit under it but there are still 250 rural coun- RVICES ACT muss in the be Libar r their ge Fams for In the Farmers Union we have a peculiar problem in that our milies are very sparsely settled. It is more difficult to bring library rvices to families when they are sparsely settled, and that is one of he major factors I think that influenced the delegates to our national onvention in March to again endorse this worthy program. cis Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. The exter the c Mr. ELLIOTT. Thank you, Mr. Johnson, for your statement. We are honored to have this morning with us Mrs. Jewell Mcnation Hugh and her 11th grade U.S. history class from the Wheaton High School, of Wheaton, Md. We hope that you enjoy your visit to this are congressional hearing. uch to hould Our next witness this morning is Mr. Benjamin E. Powell, president of the American Library Association. Mr. Powell is also the librarto you ian of the Duke University, at Durham, N.C. We are very happy to have you, Mr. Powell, and you may proceed n of th in any manner you see fit to make your statement. If you should ise and decide to summarize it, then the statement as you have written it will be made a part of the record. anted. 5. excep e. I h s admix ust STATEMENT OF BENJAMIN E. POWELL, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN Mr. POWELL. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee. My name is Benjamin Powell. I am librarian of Duke weigh University, Durham, N.C., and president of the American Library Association, a nonprofit, professional association of more than 23,000 members, consisting of librarians, trustees, and friends of libraries, Reuber interested in the development, extension, and improvement of libraries as essential factors in the educational, social, and cultural needs of our Nation. who e has to Mr. ELLIOTT. Mr. Powell, let me interrupt you. What percentage of the public libraries belong to the American Library Association? Mr. POWELL. You mean what percentage of the libraries of America? Mr. ELLIOTT. Yes, sir. Mr. POWELL. We have difficulty in establishing that. It would be somewhere between one-third and one-half. We have other associations such as special library associations in music, hospitals, and so forth-some of those having to do with hospitals in the association but there are special groups that are not. However, there is a variety of membership. I would say a large percentage of our professionally trained people are members, but also eligible are a great many people who work as clerks and the like who are not members. Mr. ELLIOTT. You have 23,000 members? Mr. POWELL. We have 23,000 members; yes, sir. I am here as a private citizen of the State of North Carolina, and as an official of the American Library Association, to recommend that the Library Services Act of 1956 be continued for 5 years beyond July 1961, as proposed in the bills now before this subcommittee. The primary purpose of the Library Services Act, as conceived back in 1946, was to aid the States and to stimulate the States to provide better public library service in rural areas. The act was designed to That gentleman's grandchildren will not miss in their youth what those of older generations missed, because the Library Services Act has provided the means for helping to satisfy their quest for knowledge. I believe this is one of the finest programs for our Nation. It is my humble plea the committee recommend the extension of the act for another 5 years. Mr. Chairman, I just want to reiterate what the chairman has already said in his opening statement. There is no more important bill pending before the Congress than the continuation of this Library Services Act. It is something which means so much to rural America, especially in these challenging times when we are confronted with an adversary that is shrewd, cruel, and there should not be a stone left unturned in our fight against his onslaught. Mr. Chairman, I want to volunteer my services to you and the members of this subcommittee in any way I can help hew wood, carry water or do anything I can-to get the continuation of this legislation, and I would like to ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. Mr. ELLIOTT. Without objection, the consent is granted. Mrs. GREEN. Mr. Chairman, I have no questions, except to thank Judge Trimble for coming before the subcommittee. I have during my 6 years in the House learned to have tremendous admiration and respect for the Representative from Arkansas. I must say when he puts his stamp of approval on a bill, it carries great weight with me. Mr. TRIMBLE. Thank you. Mr. ELLIOTT. Thank you very much, Judge Trimble. The next witness from whom we shall hear is Mr. Reuben Johnson, who was originally scheduled to testify last today but who has asked if it would be possible for him to testify earlier, as he has to run to participate in one of the White House conference groups. Mr. Johnson has worked for the Farmers Union legislative program as a staff member of its legislative office since 1954. Mr. Johnson, we are happy to have you, and you may proceed with your statement. STATEMENT OF REUBEN JOHNSON, COORDINATOR, LEGISLATIVE SERVICES, NATIONAL FARMERS UNION, WASHINGTON, D.C. Mr. JOHNSON. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate very much your allowing me to make a very brief oral statement at this point. I think this program, and the results achieved under it, speaks for itself. But, I would like to commend you and the sponsors of the bills before the subcommittee for taking action to continue the very fine activity which was started as a result of the enactment of the library services program in 1956. Delegates to the convention of the National Farmers Union in March endorsed again this program. We have done quite a bit under it but there are still 250 rural counties without any public library at all. There are 25 million people in rural areas who still do not have any public library service and there are still others who are not afforded an opportunity to conveniently get to libraries. In the Farmers Union we have a peculiar problem in that our families are very sparsely settled. It is more difficult to bring library services to families when they are sparsely settled, and that is one of the major factors I think that influenced the delegates to our national convention in March to again endorse this worthy program. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Mr. ELLIOTT. Thank you, Mr. Johnson, for your statement. We are honored to have this morning with us Mrs. Jewell McHugh and her 11th grade U.S. history class from the Wheaton High School, of Wheaton, Md. We hope that you enjoy your visit to this congressional hearing. Our next witness this morning is Mr. Benjamin E. Powell, president of the American Library Association. Mr. Powell is also the librarian of the Duke University, at Durham, N.C. We are very happy to have you, Mr. Powell, and you may proceed in any manner you see fit to make your statement. If you should decide to summarize it, then the statement as you have written it will be made a part of the record. STATEMENT OF BENJAMIN E. POWELL, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, DURHAM, N.C. Mr. POWELL. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee. My name is Benjamin Powell. I am librarian of Duke University, Durham, N.C., and president of the American Library Association, a nonprofit, professional association of more than 23,000 members, consisting of librarians, trustees, and friends of libraries, interested in the development, extension, and improvement of libraries as essential factors in the educational, social, and cultural needs of our Nation. Mr. ELLIOTT. Mr. Powell, let me interrupt you. What percentage of the public libraries belong to the American Library Association? Mr. POWELL. You mean what percentage of the libraries of America? Mr. ELLIOTT. Yes, sir. Mr. POWELL. We have difficulty in establishing that. It would be somewhere between one-third and one-half. We have other associations such as special library associations in music, hospitals, and so forth-some of those having to do with hospitals in the association but there are special groups that are not. However, there is a variety of membership. I would say a large percentage of our professionally trained people are members, but also eligible are a great many people who work as clerks and the like who are not members. Mr. ELLIOTT. You have 23,000 members? Mr. POWELL. We have 23,000 members; yes, sir. I am here as a private citizen of the State of North Carolina, and as an official of the American Library Association, to recommend that the Library Services Act of 1956 be continued for 5 years beyond July 1961, as proposed in the bills now before this subcommittee. The primary purpose of the Library Services Act, as conceived back in 1946, was to aid the States and to stimulate the States to provide better public library service in rural areas. The act was designed to That gentleman's grandchildren will not miss in their youth what those of older generations missed, because the Library Services Art has provided the means for helping to satisfy their quest for knowledge. I believe this is one of the finest programs for our Nation. It is my humble plea the committee recommend the extension of the act for another 5 years. Mr. Chairman, I just want to reiterate what the chairman has already said in his opening statement. There is no more important bill pending before the Congress than the continuation of this Library Services Act. It is something which means so much to rural America, especially in these challenging times when we are confronted with an adversary that is shrewd, cruel, and there should not be a stone left unturned in our fight against his onslaught. Mr. Chairman, I want to volunteer my services to you and the members of this subcommittee in any way I can help hew wood, carry water or do anything I can-to get the continuation of this legislation, and I would like to ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. Mr. ELLIOTT. Without objection, the consent is granted. Mrs. Green, do you have any questions? Mrs. GREEN. Mr. Chairman, I have no questions, except to thank Judge Trimble for coming before the subcommittee. I have during my 6 years in the House learned to have tremendous admiration and respect for the Representative from Arkansas. I must say when he puts his stamp of approval on a bill, it carries great weight with me. Mr. TRIMBLE. Thank you. Mr. ELLIOTT. Thank you very much, Judge Trimble. The next witness from whom we shall hear is Mr. Reuben Johnson, who was originally scheduled to testify last today but who has asked if it would be possible for him to testify earlier, as he has to run to participate in one of the White House conference groups. Mr. Johnson has worked for the Farmers Union legislative program as a staff member of its legislative office since 1954. Mr. Johnson, we are happy to have you, and you may proceed with your statement. STATEMENT OF REUBEN JOHNSON, COORDINATOR, LEGISLATIVE SERVICES, NATIONAL FARMERS UNION, WASHINGTON, D.C. Mr. JOHNSON. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate very much your allowing me to make a very brief oral statement at this point. I think this program, and the results achieved under it, speaks for itself. But, I would like to commend you and the sponsors of the bills before the subcommittee for taking action to continue the very fine activity which was started as a result of the enactment of the library services program in 1956. Delegates to the convention of the National Farmers Union in March endorsed again this program. We have done quite a bit under it but there are still 250 rural counties without any public library at all. There are 25 million people in rural areas who still do not have any public library service and there are still others who are not afforded an opportunity to conveniently get to libraries. |