Now, without relation to your statement, Mrs. Youngblood, give the committee the benefit of what you have observed and felt among the people who are interested in library service in Alabama in these recent years. Is there a genuine growing interest on the part of a larger and larger group of our population in our public libraries in Alabama? Mrs. YOUNGBLOOD. All I can say to you is that the growth of interest in libraries among rural people in Alabama-that is the only State I can speak of from actual experience is just beyond estimate. I think that the impetus which has been given to library service by the amount of money we have received from the Library Services Act funds has done much to stimulate interest because we were without any money and this little bit has given us hope, so to speak. You know, in Alabama, we are having difficulty paying our teachers. There is a shortage of money in our education department and teachers are being advised by some politicians to tighten their belts, but librarians in Alabama have traditionally worked with tightened belts. They do not know there is any other size, and it has just been wonderful, the effect of the small amount of money we have received, because I feel we are going to get more librarians as a result. That has been, you know, our greatest handicap-the lack of trained personnel and I believe that we will have more librarians and we will have more interest. I have received many letters from people over the State, not just librarians, but people who are interested in library service, indicating that they are greatly interested in it. Mr. ELLIOTT. Would you care to make some of those letters which are illustrative of the interest that you speak of a part of the record, following your statement? Mrs. YOUNGBLOOD. I would be very glad to. I have them here. Mr. ELLIOTT. Without objection, they will be made a part of the record, if you care to do so. (The letters referred to follow :) EXCERPTS FROM LETTERS WRITTEN BY PATRONS OF THE HORSESHOE BEND REGIONAL LIBRARY OF ALABAMA In March 1959, our bookmobile made an extra trip to Lee County to demonstrate the service to a visiting bookmobile librarian from Pakistan. The following is a quotation from the letter one patron wrote in response to our note telling of the trip: "This is a small world, indeed, when I, sitting down here in the 'Piney Woods' in my wheelchair, will be able to visit with someone from far away Pakistan. "The regional library has brought me happiness in many ways. I can read books that I am not able to purchase. I also have made new friends, bookmobile staff, that I would not have known. It is a splendid service and I want you to know that I genuinely appreciate it." (2) Another patron, who keeps a small collection of books for her rural community to read, wrote: "I don't want to be a pig taking so many books, but we use them so much. The only youngster in the community who doesn't read is the only one who gets into trouble and could be called a juvenile delinquent." (3) One middle-aged farmer, who had a third-grade education, has been meeting the bookmobile at an isolated community stop since 1951. With guidance from the librarian he was soon reading in a variety of fields-astronomy, weather, biography, to name a few. (His abilities to comprehend and to follow instruction have developed far beyond his reading ability due to radio and television.) He now reads on the junior high level and a few months ago told the librarian that he was now subscribing to the Montgomery Advertiser and reading it to his aged mother, who cannot read. WALKER COUNTY LIBRARY, Mrs. BERNICE YOUNGBLOOD, DEAR MRS. YOUNGBLOOD: Just 15 months ago we began our new regional bookmobile service, and it has grown beyond our expectations, but we have far to go to meet just a few of the many needs out in our rural sections. We will not be able to carry on unless the bill to extend the Library Services Act is passed, for the counties could not possibly support it alone next year. I wish it were possible for members of the subcommittee holding hearings on H.R. 9812 to ride one day on our bookmobile, to see how hungry our rural people are for books. Today, we had 149 borrowers, who met us and checked and renewed 752 books. Mr. Elliott would recognize the names of our stops, Sipsey, Empire, Sumiton, Cordova, and he would know most of the people who meet us, I'm sure. Enclosed are some records which one volunteer librarian keeps for us at Bankhead, Ala. Mrs. Davis takes great pride in recording the number of people who read each book that is checked out. For her, this is a labor of love for which she receives no pay, and it does show that every book checked out is read by several people before rechecking. Best wishes to you on the hearing. Sincerely yours, CLARA E. MCCULLAR, Mr. ELLIOTT. Now, may I recognize my friend from Connecticut, Mr. Giaimo? Mr. GIAIMO. Mrs. Youngblood, I want to thank you for your informative statement. Could you tell me briefly how this program is put into operation in your State of Alabama and who conducts it and who decides where the funds go and what is done in your local communities, and so forth? Mrs. YOUNGBLOOD. Well, of course, our State library agency has charge of the administration of the funds, and the purpose has been to create interest at the local level. I mean that, in effect, the local community asks for it; enough interest is generated at the local level; then they come to the State agency and ask for help, and then the plan is developed. Mr. GIAIMO. And the apportionments are determined at the State level? Mrs. YOUNGBLOOD. Yes. Mr. GIAIMo. Who determines them? Mrs. YOUNGBLOOD. The State library agency. Mr. GIAIMO. The State agency? Mrs. YOUNGBLOOD. Yes, sir. Mr. GIAIMO. Do you know the percentage under the formula that is included in the bill which Alabama would contribute to this program? Mrs. YOUNGBLOOD. No, I am sorry I do not. I probably have those figures here but I do not remember offhand. Mr. GIAIMO. I do not mean the amount. I am just wondering if you know the percentage. if Mrs. YOUNGBLOOD. I do not know the percentage. Mr. GIAIMO. I am just curious as to what the percentages are, and you for us? Mrs. YOUNGBLOOD. I would be happy to send you that information. (The statistical information referred to follows:) Allotments to States according to the terms of the Library Services Act (Public Mr. ELLIOTT. May I recognize my friend from West Virginia, Mr. Bailey? Mr. BAILEY. Mr. Chairman, I would like to take this opportunity to express my thanks and appreciation for the very informative and appealing message brought by Mrs. Youngblood and it will be passed on to the Congress. I would like to add that if all of the informed and outstanding workers of the several States were as interested in the situation in their respective States as Mrs. Youngblood has manifested before the subcommittee, we would never have any more trouble handling library legislation. Mr. ELLIOTT. Thank you, Mr. Bailey, and thank you, Mrs. Youngblood. Mrs. YOUNGBLOOD. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee. Mr. ELLIOTT. Our next witness today is Miss Edith Foster, director of the West Georgia Regional Library, Carrollton, Ga. We are very happy to have you, Miss Foster. We have a copy of your statement, so you may proceed to read it or to proceed in any way you see fit. I do want you to know that we have heard about what you are doing in Georgia in the field of libraries and education, in general, and we are happy to have a first-hand report from you on the library services in Georgia. STATEMENT OF MISS EDITH FOSTER, DIRECTOR, WEST GEORGIA REGIONAL LIBRARY, CARROLLTON, GA. Miss FOSTER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. My name is Edith Foster. I am director of the West Georgia Regional Library, a five county program in the lower northwestern part of Georgia. I am here today representing a consumer of the benefits of the Library Services Act in Georgia. Our library was instituted in the fall of 1944 with two initial counties as a demonstration regional system, with State aid and local control under a constitutional board of trustees. We coordinate and promote all public library services within these 5 counties, comprising a population of 80,000-maintaining, or sustaining, or assisting substantially, at the present time through local cooperation, 4 branch libraries and 81 library deposits and centers, serviced by regularly scheduled visits of 2 standard bookmobiles, by specially scheduled contracts of 1 converted station wagon, and by a very heavy daily mail service. I am appearing before this subcommittee to recommend the extension of the Library Services Act for 5 years beginning July 1, 1961, and with an annual authorization of $7.5 million. I am doing this for several reasons: (1) It has been my privilege to see constructive results far beyond measure in our own region, as county and town have become a part of our system, and program after program has come to a marvelous fruition with the Library Services Act playing an important part. The citizens speak out to the effect that no countywide service extended to the people has brought more widespread good than has this rural library program. (2) The past 16 years of pioneering have convinced me of the great need for an all-out sustained effort to develop rural libraries over the country. It takes time to gain understanding, based on surveys and public relations-understanding on the one hand on the part of the local library authorities and personnel in a young service, and on the other hand, of the population concerned. It takes time to build up a balanced, standard collection of materials to meet the needs of the composite structure of the service area-books, pamphlets, films, filmstrips, art reproductions, recordings of music and great speeches and literature and language spoken. It takes time to acquire the proper media to carry out good library service: The sufficient number of bookmobiles according to local needs, the staff to handle the bookmobile services and projects, the facilities for producing a variety of programs. It takes time for expansion of services to meet the growing demand. We have to move step at a time and put down a permanent foundation before we can go upward and outward to the limits of felt needs. We know we are moving in the right direction, but we need an extension of the Library Services Act to consolidate our gains. (3) In our area we are beginning to see wonderful early effects from the allocation of funds under the Library Services Act. have added $3,000 of reference materials since the act went into effect. We have had one demonstration in an additional county and an independent town, both of which in this past year joined the region. We have added an excellent bookmobile. We have greatly increased interest in library services. We have been able to add a full-time professional staff member, much needed. Of course the local interest stimulated by the impetus given us under the Library Services Act has made this possible. We are convinced that we have invested the money wisely thus far. Our people feel that our new bookmobile is an example of perfection itself in the library on wheels. Our beginning reference section is already attracting business and industry, an innovation in our program, resulting in our having as many men as women users of the library. The Library Services Act has given impetus but we need to put down much deeper, more substantial roots and expand the breadth of our program so as to reach all possible areas of need, both in types and amounts of materials, and in types of services. We are only in the beginning of substantiating a well-balanced, standard library service. The West Georgia Regional Library has just added a county and an independent town to the area. These need much help in materials and in services. Our adult education efforts are in the first stages of development. Our children's program needs the constant guidance of a trained librarian. We need additional staff to carry out audiovisual programs; to hold workshops and institutes. We need to lengthen the time that the libraries are open to the public. We need additional service equipment. We need to expand our reference center into a department for research and |