situation which is now developing. In order to prevent such an epidemic, it is imperative for us to provide the means of immunization with excellent informational resources.

Washington State's public school libraries lack adequate staff, quarters, materials and financial support. At present there is only 1 librarian serving more than 1,000 children in public elementary and secondary schools, instead of the recommended 1 for every 400. Only 50 percent of the senior high schools were spending $3 or more per pupil for libraries in 1960-61. (The State standards are $3 and the national standards $4-$6.) The amount expended is even less in public elementary and junior high schools.

We are wholeheartedly supporting title II as a lever to help us obtain better State and local support to improve this picture.

TITLE III-COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

On the national level we have a shocking situation in the libraries of public institutions of higher education. Surveys show that 59.9 percent of all libraries in 4-year institutions are below standards with less than 50,000 total volumes. Eighty-seven and one-tenth percent of all libraries in 2-year institutions are below standards with far too many new junior colleges having no libraries at all. This situation will become rapidly worse as the high-level enrollments in public elementary and secondary schools reach college. We cannot afford to wait. These institutions prepare our teachers, doctors, nurses, scientists, engineers, and librarians; and failure to provide the tools for a sound education will mean a deterioration of our whole society. The University of Washington is the largest research library in the entire Northwest whose collection represents: a million volumes; 14,000 current serials; a collection of State, Federal, and international government documents; manuscript materials; and a Federal regional technical report center. In addition, the university library furnishes the quarters for the Pacific Northwest bibliographic center regional catalog services.

The university has been experiencing the pressures of increased enrollment at all levels, stepped-up research by faculty, and research projects for business and government. At the same time other institutions of higher education in the State have accelerated their use of the university collections. This is due to the inability of the libraries of these other institutions to meet the demands of their expanded programs as well as their higher enrollments.

In addition to the use by other institutions of higher education in Washington State, the university has a generous interlibrary loan policy to all libraries in the Pacific Northwest. In a 2-year period over 13,000 volumes have been borrowed for use elsewhere.

The nonacademic use of the library by people who do their research in the library is very high. Since these people do not check out the books there is no statistical evidence to present, but the pressures on staff time is very evident to the director of the library. Without relief, the university library will be forced to limit the use of its excellent collection to the University of Washington faculty and students. This would be a serious loss to the entire Northwest.

We asked the University of Washington Library to estimate how many volumes they should be buying as compared with their actual rate of purchase. They correlated this with student enrollment projected figures and we find that by 1965 the University of Washington can expect an enrollment of 24,000 as compared with 16,973 in 1960. If the book funds available to the library increase on the same percentage basis as they have the past few years, by 1965 the unmet book needs of the library will total $636,125, representing approximately 70,000 volumes. If this is the picture for our best library in the region, it becomes quite evident financial help is needed without delay.

TITLE IV-LIBRARY TRAINING INSTITUTES

One of the most critical areas in library development is the shortage of qualified personnel. With widespread increase in the demands made on our libraries, by increased emphasis on reading and individual study; we have a responsibility to see that young people with intellectual curiosity and ability are attracted to library careers. There is an accompanying serious need for skilled technicians to carry on the numerous semiprofessional responsibilities in all types of libraries. The Wall Street Journal of July 31, 1961, focused national attention on the crisis created by thousands (14,000) of unfilled positions in libraries. In point of fact if our libraries were to meet minimum standards for staffing as of today we would need 125,000 librarians immediately. Approximately 2,000 librarians are graduated each year. If we consider only the current unfilled existing positions, we have a yearly deficit of 12,000 librarians. This shortage is of national importance. Not only should we develop the physical means for library service-materials and buildings-but we should also take specific measures to insure that the program of use will be handled by a qualified staff.

Title IV provided a means for immediate improvement of existing staffs while setting in motion the machinery to turn out greater numbers of qualified librarians.

In our program in Washington, the most difficult problem to solve has been that of a properly trained staff. For this reason we regard title IV as essential in helping to solve this critical problem.

In conclusion, I would like to add, as a nonlibrarian, my many years of working with librarians and programs of library development have convinced me the funds provided will achieve maximum results. Hard-working and conscientious librarians, at all levels, are working together to provide the best possible library service to all of our citizens.

Thank you for this opportunity to speak in support of this vitally important bill which will provide a coordinated national program of library development.

Mr. BRADEMAS. Can you tell me what is the average salary that a librarian is paid in a public library in the State of Washington? Mrs. COOMBS. The average salary

Mr. BRADEMAS. The reason I ask that question

Mrs. COOMBS. Do you mean the administrator of a local library?

Mr. BRADEMAS. Let's say what would the pay be of the head librarian at the main public library in Seattle, and then what would be the salary of a beginning librarian?

The reason I raise the question is, in your statement in support of title IV for the library training institutes, you speak of the shortage of trained librarians in the United States, and I am wondering to what extent pay may have something to do with this shortage.

Mrs. COOMBS. Yes. I understand the librarians coming out of the graduate school of librarianship at the university average around $5,000 as a beginning salary.

You understand, many of our local library boards do not have the budget to pay this much salary. So often they cannot hire these librarians, who will go to a State where they can get bigger salaries.

The Seattle public librarian-I am not sure of his salary. I would say it would probably be in the neighborhood of $12,000 to $15,000. Perhaps someone here does know that salary.

Our State librarian-we have just raised her salary to $12,000 from $8,000. This is under a State personnel setup.

Our local librarian in Yakima, Wash., from where I come, makes $8,000. The starting salary there, though, is around $3,000, so you see we are not able to take the ones right out of the graduate school. This is because of the budget on the local level. The city government on which I serve does not have the tax support from which to give the money to the library, so that they can up these librarian salaries.

Mr. BRADEMAS. You get no State contribution for the salaries of librarians?

Mrs. COOMBS. Not for the local level. The only State contribution we have is for extension of services.

Mr. BRADEMAS. Thank you very much.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. I would like to express my appreciation, and I am sure the other members of the subcommittee do, for Mrs. Coombs coming so far to testify.

On page 3 of your testimony, Mrs. Coombs, you say: "We feel very strongly that excluding any public library from the program of library development weakens the total fabric of the library service." I am not sure what you mean by "excluding." Surely you do not mean if something is made available, a pie is developed that has some Federal money in it, that every single library in the State must receive some aid under that program?

Mrs. COOMBS. No, I do not mean that by that statement.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Including it for the sake of excluding it from an appropriation does not seem to be particularly meaningful. Mrs. COOMBS. I think I mean by that, referring to the Washington plan which I mentioned, we have this plan of coordination of all our library services in the State of Washington, and if we are just able to use the money to work in the rural areas, then we cannot work in coordination with the urban areas so as to carry out our coordinated plan.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. I understand your point now.

Mrs. COOMBS. The plan would have to meet many requirements. Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. My other question deals with your statement that Washington does not instigate any plan.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Are you saying the State can establish prist ities and submit a plan to the Federal Govern de onder to new the Federal funds because that is what is requini?

Mrs. Coombs. They could do that.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. There would perhaps be an incred amoun of State participation in what otherwise would be local deformina tions of need and advisability of which way to expand and so on Mrs. COOMBS. We have to set up a policy by which we will allot the funds to them, but we do not go out and force them into it. We lo the initiative come from them. We tell them what is available, but they have to tell us they can take care of it locally before we do it That is what I mean, we do not instigate their plans for them In the final analysis, the local library boards rule the local libraries. Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. I do not know how you can say that a State would not instigate a plan for a rural service that had not boon provided at all. It would be a State responsibility, would it not? Mrs. COOMBS. Yes. We could set the policy and tell them this was available. They have to come to us with the desire to be included in the plan.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. They must be willing to accept it. Do you make the determination that if an area is not served you are going to suggest that money is available to set up such service!

Mrs. CooмBS. No. We do not make the determination of the area to be served. That is what I have been trying to tell you. We tell the State as a whole that this money is available and certain things under our policy which they will have to do to get it. If they are interested then they have to come to us themselves; we do not go to them with it.

First of all, the request has to come from them themselves Thund is the way we have run the present plan,

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Thank you very much.

Mr. BAILEY. Mrs. Coombs, we appreciate your coming here to testify, coming from the great Northwest. If is the best evidence that we have that we have nationwide support for this legislation.

Mrs. COOMBS. Thank you, Mr. Bailey, We certainly appreciul the present Library Services Act in the Mate of Washington have one of the best examples of it out there,

Mr. BAILEY. Thank you

(The following was submitted by Mrs. Coombs :)

For more than 50 years the Washington Library Association has been involved in the planning of the library development program in the State of Washington. The association has a continuing committee which constantly reviews the activities of the State library recommends to the membership of Washington Library Association revisions in the program; the association discusses, amends, and/or approves; the final recommendations of Washington Library Association are sent to the State library commission for review and discussion before adoption or rejection. To date there has been no major area of disagreement in direction of the program. The Washington Library Association regards the program as theirs, with responsibility for its success; the State library is the agency responsible for carrying on the day-to-day activities.

In cooperation with Washington Library Association the State library commission adopted principles for the programs under the Library Services Act. In brief these principles are:

1. To achieve good library service for all citizens in Washington State. 2. Major emphasis would be implementing the regional library plan adopted by Washington Library Association and the State library commission.

3. Proposals for activities, especially demonstrations, would have to originate at the local level.

4. The State library commission would review proposals and select those it was felt were feasible, practical, and fiscally sound.

5. In judging proposals, one principle would be basic-the areas ability to finance adequate library service from its own local resources.

6. State and Federal financing would be to demonstrate what the region could afford in the way of library service.

7. The people would be asked to approve local responsibility for the continuation of the program.

8. State and Federal funds would be withdrawn and attention turned to the next project.

9. During the period State and Federal funds were involved, the State library would be responsible for administration of such funds; administration of service would be reached by cooperative planning and organization with existing libraries.

We have followed these principles faithfully and successfully. In addition the Washington Library Association cooperated with the State library in evaluating the Library Services Act program during the fifth year. From this evaluation the plans for further progress were developed by Washington Library Association and the State library commission.

Our problem has not been to generate requests for projects but to make wise judgments in selection among those received. We had seven proposals in 1961 and funds to finance one.

It should be understood the Washington Library Association is composed of individual membership by librarians, library trustees, and friends of libraries.

Mrs. BRUCE COOMBS,

Member, State Library Commission,
Yakima, Wash.

NORTH CENTRAL REGIONAL LIBRARY,
Wenatchee, Wash., July 2, 1962.

DEAR MRS. COOMBS: In answer to your inquiry we are pleased to provide you with information as to the formation of this regional library which serves 120,000 people in 5 counties covering more than 16,000 square miles.

The original request for a demonstration of full library service came from the trustees of the regional library which was then serving one county and one large city in the area. This request was evaluated, along with others, by the State Library Commission. Our area was selected as the first implementation of the Library Services Act funds in this State.

The Washington State Library administered the program for the following 3 years, having full authority over the expanded services to formerly unserved areas, but in no means usurping the authority of the existing library outlets. The trustees and staff of the old north central regional library cooperated with