DEPARTMENT OF Hon. CLEVELAND M. BAILEY, HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE, Chairman, General Subcommittee on Education, Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: This letter is in response to your request of June 12, 1962, for a report on H.R. 11823, a bill to amend the Library Services Act in order to make areas lacking public libraries or with inadequate public libraries, public elementary and secondary school libraries, and ceratin college and university libraries, eligible for benefits under that act, and for other purposes. This bill would amend the Library Services Act to (1) authorize the appropriation of $20 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1963, and for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years, for making payments to the States which have submitted and have approved by the Commissioner of Education State plans for the further extension of public library services to areas without such services, or with inadequate services; (2) authorize for each of these 5 years the appropriation of $30 million for making grants to State educational agencies to carry out a State plan approved by the Commissioner for the establishment and maintenance of programs of library service in public elementary and secondary schools: (3) authorize for each of these 5 years the appropriation of $10 million to enable the Commissioner to make grants to institutions of higher education for the acquisition for library purposes of books (other than textbooks), periodicals, documents, and other related materials (including necessary binding); and (4) authorize the appropriation of $7.5 million for the first and $10 million for each of the remaining of the 5 years to enable the Commissioner to contract with institutions of higher education for the operation by them of short-term or regular session institutes for the provision of training to improve the qualifications of librarians or individuals preparing to engage in library work. The programs proposed by this bill are designed to expand the Federal effort to assist in improving our fundamental educational resource the library and its essential services to the school, to the scholar, and to the general public. It is a disturbing fact that the Nation, including its schools and colleges, has not maintained library resources adequate to our growing educational needs. The extent of our needs for additional library services will be discussed in some detail in our forthcoming testimony before the General Subcommittee on Education. Among other things, the facts available to us indicate that at least 60 million urban residents have inadequate library service, or none at all, and that there are serious inadequacies in the library resources of our schools and colleges. The Library Services Act (Public Law 597, 84th Cong.) was enacted in 1956 to promote the further development of public library service in rural counties. It authorized the appropriation of $7.5 million for each of 5 years, and was amended and extended for 5 additional years (until June 30, 1966) by Public Law 86-679. The act provides assistance for library services only for "rural areas," which it defines as those communities having a population of 10,000 or less. This act has had a dramatic effect in bringing library services to millions of rural residents who were without such services, and improving existing services for an even larger number. Through such means as bookmobiles, and extension libraries, the States and communities have used these funds to reach even isolated areas and families. Moreover, under the stimulus of modest amounts of Federal funds, during the years the program has been in operation, State funds for these services have increased by more than 90 percent and local funds have increased by more than 70 percent, so that the improvements have extended far beyond the Federal program. Much remains to be accomplished in the improvement of rural library services, but a point has been reached in which the need for improved services is about equally balanced between urban and rural populations, and further strengthening of library systems should be undertaken without regard to arbitrary population limitations. What is most required is the establishment of coordinated statewide programs in which central library resources located in urban areas are utilized to serve all areas of the State and, particularly, to strengthen and enrich small libraries through the exchange and circulation of books, materials, and personnel. In our increasing national concern for the quality of formal education, we must not overlook the central importance of adequate school and college libraries. Nearly 11 million public school children, including over half of those in public elementary schools, attend schools in which there is no library. At the higher education level, about 60 percent of our 4-year colleges have fewer than 50,000 volumes in the library, and nearly 90 percent of our junior colleges have less than 20,000 volumes. These collections are small when measured by accepted academic standards. Finally, this bill would authorize over the 5-year period the appropriation of an aggregate of $47.5 million to finance the operation by colleges and universities of short-term and regular session institutes for librarians, in order to improve their qualifications. The upgrading and updating of the professional competence and knowledge of librarians is an essential feature of a coordinated effort to improve library services. Similar institutes, arranged by the National Science Foundation and by the Office of Education for teachers of science, mathematics, and modern foreign languages, and for school counseling and guidance personnel, have amply demonstrated the effectiveness of such a program. As these institutes would also enroll individuals planning to engage in labrary work, they would provide an additional means of increasing the number of librarians. In our judgment, additional Federal action is needed to assist in the general improvement of library services available to the general public, to public school children, and to the students in our colleges and universities. In the limited time which has been available since this bill was introduced, we have not been able to complete our studies of the appropriate amounts of Federal funds which should be allocated to these programs and to explore fully other important questions involved in the administration of the bill. We will continue our studies of these matters. We are advised by the Bureau of the Budget that there is no objection to the presentation of this report from the standpoint of the administration's program. Sincerely, ABE RIBICOFF, Secretary. COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, Hon. CLEVELAND M. BAILEY, Chairman, House General Subcommittee on Education, MY DEAR MR. BAILEY: I strongly urge support of H.R. 11823, comprehensive bill to amend the Library Services Act, if the amendments suggested for title IV could be made. Since I am responsible for the development of school libraries in Pennsylvania, I shall confine my remarks to titles II and IV. Title II is excellent. One of the many good features of this title is its provision for administration by the State educational agency. This is not only strengthens State and local governments, all helps to insure an economical expenditure of funds through a comprehensive plan based on the total needs of a particular State. Title IV, Library Training Institutes, would be strengthened by the following amendment beginning on line 12: "to enable the Commissioner to arrange contracts, on the basis of a plan developed by the State educational agency, with institutions of higher education for the operation by them of short-term or regular session institutes ***." I, along with others, am worried about the tendency of late for the U.S. Office of Education to bypass the State educational agency. We know, or should know, how to coordinate resources for the best interest of the citizens of Pennsylvania. It is doubtful if the Federal Government and the local institutions with which it contracts are able to determine which one of several approaches is likely to be in the interest of all Pennsylvanians. A public agency, such as the State educational agency or other appropriate State agency, should mediate between the Federal and the local or private interest to insure to the citizens of Pennsylvania that their money is being spent in the public, not the private, interest. The department of public instruction has a plan which will provide at least 700 school librarians each year. This plan was developed by the department and institutions of higher education. This plan should not now be scrapped in a mad scramble for Federal funds which might ignore the larger interest of the State. The data below grimly underline the need for more and better library services in Pennsylvania. DATA ON NEED FOR LIBRARY SERVICES IN PENNSYLVANIA Library facilities Pennsylvania has 2,500 elementary buildings with seven rooms or more only 900 of these have libraries of any kind and most of these do not meet State standards. (The State is now reimbursing districts for building central libraries in new or in remodeled elementary schools.) Of 1,200 secondary schools, 200 schools have no library. Trained librarians We have only 100 certified librarians to serve 2,500 elementary schools of seven rooms or more; 400 of our 1,200 secondary schools are without a certified librarian (30 semester hours in library science). Summary We need 1,800 libraries for our schools and 2,800 librarians, most of whom are needed for elementary schools-a very important need if we are to improve the teaching of reading and other subjects. Training facilities Pennsylvania's colleges and universities with schools of library science have the capacity to give a minimum of 12 semester hours of library science each year to 700 selected classroom teachers who would enter school library work in our public schools. This pool of sorely needed librarians is not being created because there is no State or local money for this purpose. Our library schools, therefore, are operating at about one-fifth of their capacity, certainly a waste of dollars in plant and personnel. State resources We have a plan developed to train the necessary librarians in 3 to 5 years, the State leadership to implement the plan, and the colleges and universities to train the librarians. We need money to get the plan moving. Since Dr. Charles H. Boehm, State superintendent, is in Germany, I am writing this letter on his behalf. Mr. Ralph Blasingame, State librarian, will be sending you a communication on those titles concerning public and college libraries. Sincerely yours, RICHARD A. GIBBONEY, Director, Bureau of Curriculum Development. P.S.-There are, unfortunately, State departments of education which offer too little leadership in program improvement. Bypassing them on significant new programs will help to keep them weak, and prolong their adolescence. I do not believe that this is enlightened Federal policy. Hon. CLEVELAND M. BAILEY, TOPEKA, KANS., June 27, 1962. Representative, Third District, West Virginia, Nine hundred members of the Kansas Library Association urge the favorable consideration of H.R. 11823 now before your committee which will bring heretofore unrealized benefits to ever community in the United States. HORACE S. MOSES, President, Kansas Library Association. Hon. CLEVELAND BAILEY, WASHINGTON, D.C., June 27, 1962. Chairman, House Subcommittee on General Education, The membership of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO, considers H.R. 11823 to amend the Library Services Act to be vitally important to the development of adequate library resources to meet the increased educational and research requirements of this Nation. We would be very pleased to have your support for these amendments. ARNOLD S. ZANDER, International President, AFSCME, AFL-CIO. EMPORIA, KANS., June 28, 1962. Hon. CLEVELAND M. BAILEY, DEAR SIR: In acting for the legislative committee and the 500 members of the Kansas Association of School Librarians, I wish to inform you that we give our earnest endorsement to the amendment to the Library Services Act of 1956-H.R. 11823-that you have introduced. Presently I am working on a statewide survey of the Kansas secondary school libraries which is pointing out many deficiencies in our school libraries. The survey shows that many Kansas secondary school libraries have not yet been able to meet the minimum standards of the State department of public instruction or even approach the national standards set forth by the American Association of School Librarians. It is the opinion of the Kansas Association of School Librarians and shared by my committee that H.R. 11823 would greatly aid in improving the situation of school libraries in Kansas. Again may I thank you for your active support of libraries, and that we will take whatever action is necessary in support of this important amendment. Yours very truly, DEAN E. RIGGS, Chairman, Legislative Committee, Kansas Association of School Librarians. STATEMENT OF TED ELLSWORTH, ADMINISTRATOR OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS, INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES, CALIF. Mr. Chairman, I am here to recommend enactment of H.R. 11823. The Institute of Industrial Relations at the University of California is a part of the general university extension activity conducting labor-management programs throughout the State of California. The institute was created during the regime of Governor Warren to act as a catalyst to develop programs for the betterment of labor-management relations following World War II. The institute conducts courses, a certificate program, conferences, seminars, and does research work. There are programs for labor, for management, and in areas that involve both labor and management-for example, the administration of pension plans. In the case of university extension in California, 91 percent of our expenses for extension classes is paid for by the participants themselves-only 9 percent comes from State support. However, in our conference programs we must recover all costs of conferences or seminars from the participants or the sponsoring organization. In the southern area we conduct programs from San Luis Obispo, Bakersfield, and China Lake on the north, to San Diego and El Centro on the south. Geographically, this is a distance of 350 to 400 miles from north to south. In the main our problems are very similar to those of other university extension programs. Our routine and basic courses, such as applied human relations, or personnel management, always pay their own way, but support is required for specialized or advance courses such as collective bargaining, or wage evaluation and job incentives. In relation to library services the institute has a more serious problem than does general university extension. In the extension liberal arts programs and other popular programs, even the smallest towns will have some fairly adequate, although not wholly desirable, library facilities with sufficient books and services to at least get by. In the field of industrial relations this is not true, and we often cannot give a much-needed program in a specific area because of the lack of library reference books and the inadequacy of qualified instructors. Let me give an example. A large community has been built up around the activities at Vandenberg Air Force Base. The civilian personnel is scattered from San Luis Obispo to Santa Barbara-about 125 miles. This personnel is there because of a national problem and, in part, should be a national responsibility. Another subcommittee of this committee is looking into the problem of labor-management relations in the area. We, too, are interested in this problem. We get many requests for programs and classes. Some we can fulfill, others we must pass by. As an example, one of the courses that we give is labor law and legislation. We have been able to give it at Santa Maria because of the existence of the California Polytechnic Institute at San Luis Obispo. From there we can get adequate instructors and acceptable, but not entirely desirable, library services. I might add at this point that these courses must be at least at the university academic level. In cases such as this, the course must be of a higher level than given to students at the university. We draw a large number of persons with Ph. D. or M.A. degrees. Many of the remainder are persons active in the unions or in management. They demand the latest information available, experienceoriented instruction, and availability to the best thinking and advance planning possible. However, we have not been able to furnish these prerequisites for a labor law course at Lompoc 25 miles south of Vandenberg-about 40 miles from Santa Maria—but partially through mountainous country with winding roads. Although a larger segment of the personnel that could utilize such a course live in Lompoc, we cannot give a course there because of the combination of inadequate instructors and poor library services. We would like to experiment with two types of library services as follows: (1) One would be built around a mobile library unit with a centralized library at one of the existing centers, probably Los Angeles. In this way an extensive library could be created at the central area and then when we have demand for a specific course, all of the necessary reference materials could be moved to the specific area. This would make it possible for us to have better library services, because of more adequate supply at our center and still be able to have a very satisfactory service in any outlying area. For example, outside of Los Angeles we would ideally like to give a course in labor law about every 2 or 3 years in each area as part of our certificate program. It would be foolhardy, and the expense would be prohibitive to try to establish even a minimum library service in each of about 20 different locations. (2) The second would be built around a film library that could help alleviate the problem of inadequate instructors. For example, and again referring to labor law, lectures could be filmed using our top labor attorneys and government personnel. These could be made available to supplement the work of an instructor who may be fully qualified in many respects, but who is not currently active in the development and practice of labor law. We believe both of these programs to be in the national welfare. We believe that both would be highly desirable and universally accepted. However, we cannot develop either in view of our present budget restrictions and therefore believe if money could be made available, a worthwhile service, that eventually might pay its own way, could be developed. MISSOURI STATE LIBRARY, Hon. MORGAN M. MOULDER, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. MOULDER: This is to express appreciation to you for introducing H.R. 11946 which proposes to amend the Library Services Act. When this bill is heard before the House General Subcommittee on Education during June 26 to 28, I would like for the following facts about specific library needs in Missouri to be entered in the record of the hearings for the bill. |