As proposed in the bills, the State would have complete jurisdiction over the implementation of its plan, including the selection of books and other library materials, and the employment of personnel to carry out the program. Deciding which localities within the State have inadequate library facilities would be a responsibility of the State library agency. The State would become ineligible to receive Federal funds for any current year if it should reduce its appropriation for public library services for that year below its appropriation for the previous year. The bill would not permit the State to use any portion of the Federal funds for the purchase or construction of any building or for the purchase of any land. The United States Commissioner of Education would administer the program at the Federal level. He would be required to approve the State plan submitted to him by an authorized State agency if he should find it to be in compliance with specifications set forth in the act. The Commissioner of Education would be authorized to require such reports from the State library administrative agency as he might need to make such studies, investigations, and reports as would be necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of the act. He would also be authorized to prepare periodic reports for public information concerning the values, methods, and results of various State demonstrations of public library services in rural areas. The following table shows the allotments which the several States would receive for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1956, under the pending Library Services Act, and related data: Allotments to States under Library Services Act for fiscal year ending June 30, 1956, together with related data See footnotes at end of table, p. 24. Allotments to States under Library Services Act for fiscal year ending June 30, 1956, together with related data-Continued 1 This column gives the expenditure required from State and local funds, if the State 2 As recorded in the most recent Federal decennial census (April 1950). The Federal percentage for any State is "100 percent less the State percentage." outlying parts) +$14,379,594 (sum of Federal allotments plus the sum of matching ex- 6 Quotient of $7,500,000 (amount of Federal allotments for United States and outlying 7 Quotient of $6,706,179 (amount from State and local funds for continental United 8 Quotient of $7,215,325 (amount of Federal allotments for continental United States) +$13,921,504 (sum of Federal allotments plus the sum of matching expenditures from State and local funds. for continental United States). Source: Calculations made in Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Office of Education, Research and Statistica! Standards Section, Feb. 17, 1955. The library services bill is of nonpartisan nature. For several years it has been supported by Republican and Democratic Members of both Houses of Congress. B. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND A movement for Federal participation in the support of public libraries began at least as early as in 1929.3 A precedent for Federal promotion of library services was established soon thereafter. Although work relief rather than the improvement of library services was the primary purpose, the Federal Government did provide financial aid for library projects during the depression of the 1930's.* Federal agencies which supplied substantial amounts of Federal assistance for library purposes included the Public Works Administration, the National Youth Administation, and the Work Projects Administration. The WPA used its library funds specifically "to assist established library agencies in stimulating local reception of complete and permanent library service as a regular public function." In 1940 this Federal agency alone was providing large amounts of financial aid annually for miscellaneous library projects throughout the Nation. Besides giving aid, like the Public Works Administration, for the construction and repair of library buildings, the Work Projects Administration promoted the preparation and publication of bibliographies and indexes, binding and repairing of worn library books, surveys of community library resources, extension of the service of established libraries, and establishment of library services in formerly unserved localities. The Advisory Committee on Education appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936 reported back in 1938 with a number of recommendations including one that Special Federal grants to the States should be provided for the extension of library services to rural areas. The Committee recommended for this purpose a Federal appropriation of $2 million for the first year, $4 million for the second, and $6 million for each of the 3 succeeding fiscal years." Based upon the findings from research by the Advisory Committee, a Federal-aid-to-education bill introduced in the 76th Congress (1939-40) included grants for libraries. A public library demonstration bill was first introduced in Congress on March 12, 1946. The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Hon. Emily Taft Douglas, of Illinois, and in the Senate by Hon. Lister Hill, of Alabama. This bill was the forerunner of the Library Services Act now pending consideration in the 84th Congress. House and Senate hearings on the public library demonstration bill were held in 1946. The bill was not reported in the House. In the Senate it was favorably reported and placed on the Consent Calendar, but was passed over. Miles, Arnold, and Lowell Martin. Public Administration and the Library, (Chicago), the University of Chicago Press, 1941, p. 210. The Federal Government and the Public Library. A report prepared by the spcial committee on Federal-State relations of the American Library Association, processed, 1954, p. 11. 5 U. S. Work Projects Administration, Operating Procedure No. G5, Section 20: Library Service Projects, revised May 1941, p. 1. Stanford, E. B, Library Extension under the WPA (Chicago), the University of Chicago Press 1944, p. 249. 7 The report of the Committee, p. 140. 8 75th Cong., 3d sess, S. 419, title 3. The bill was reintroduced in the 80th Congress, in the House of Representatives by Hon. Thomas A. Jenkins, and in the Senate by Senators Lister Hill and George D. Aiken. Hearings were again held in the House and Senate. Again the bill was not reported in the House. On February 25, 1948, it passed the Senate on the Unanimous Consent Calendar. In the 81st Congress the bill was introduced in the House by Representatives Ray Madden, Wright Patman, and Augustine B. Kelley; and in the Senate by Senators Lister Hill, George D. Aiken and Paul Douglas. On March 9, 1950, it was debated for 5 hours in the House of Representatives and was defeated by a vote of 161 to 164. It came up on the Senate Consent Calendar but was passed over. In order to meet some of the objections raised during the House debate on the measure in the 81st Congress, the bill was revised and introduced in the 82d Congress as the library services bill. The new bill proposed a greater freedom of action by the States to develop their library services. It contained a definite statement regarding maximum cost and set a definite period during which the permissive legislation would be in effect. It also changed the distribution formula so as to require contribution to the program by the States on the basis of their respective rural populations and abilities to pay. In the 82d Congress the new library services bill was introduced in the House by 8 Members and in the Senate by the same 3 who had introduced it previously. At least partly because of the great pressure of labor legislation, the bill was not reported in the House. It came up on the Senate Calendar four times but was passed over each time. C. DEVELOPMENTS DURING THE 83D CONGRESS (1953-54) Early in the first session of the 83d Congress 6 Republican and 7 Democratic Members of the House introduced bills identical with the library services bill of the 82d Congress. These bills were referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor. No action was taken on the proposals. In March 1953 the bill was also introduced in the Senate, with 5 Republican and 4 Democratic Senators acting as cosponsors. No action was taken on this bill, which had been referred to the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare. During the 83d Congress a special committee on Federal-State relations of the American Library Association canvassed the status of public-library service in the United States. The committee gathered facts regarding the current support of public libraries by States and local communities, and studied the extent of Federal responsibility for assisting the States in the provision of adequate public-library services for all citizens. In 1954 the committee published a report entitled "The Federal Government and the Public Library." Representatives of the State library associations and directors of the State library agencies met during the annual summer conference of the American Library Association in June 1954 to discuss the library services bill and needed changes. The group agreed upon features of the new proposal and urged its enactment. |