Obsolete materials discarded when replaced with the newer materials. Fewer complaints from librarians that teachers just don't use the library. Guilford County and North Carolina librarians are strong supporters also of the proposed expanded title X, part A, of the National Defense Education Act (S. 2345), reported by the Senate Labor and Public Welfare Committee in 1961 (S. Rept. 652). This proposed legislation would authorize matching grants to State education agencies to assist them in establishing and maintaining total programs of library services in public elementary and secondary schools.

Miss BOMAR. In recent years many States have exerted great effort to provide quality school library service; however, no State has been able to develop through its own efforts a strong statewide program of quality school library service.

The State of North Carolina is cited as an example of one State that over the years has emphasized school library development. Since 1903 North Carolina has given increased support to school libraries through State appropriations. For the past 32 years North Carolina has promoted a statewide program of school library development through the State department of public instruction under the leadership of a State supervisor of school library services.

This school year has been a year of rapid progress in the development of North Carolina school libraries; however, this progress has not been enough to provide adequate school libraries. The past general assembly increased the State library maintenance allotment from 50 cents to $1 per pupil, a total expenditure of from $536,210 to over $1 million annually. This increase has made it possible for schools to purchase more books than ever before. Through the State personnel allotment for special services the number of school librarians has increased from 558 to a total of 963.

Even though North Carolina schools have made progress there still remains much to be done to attain an adequate level of school library service. Analysis of needs reveals that more than 50 percent of the schools in North Carolina are still without the services of qualified librarian. Only 25 of the total 173 school administrative units have library supervisors and there are no State and Federal funds allocated for the training of school librarians.

North Carolina has over 612 million volumes in its school libraries, or 6.5 books per pupil. A well-stocked school library should have at least 10 books per pupil. North Carolina needs to spend at least $3 per pupil per year for library books alone to meet accepted standards. The State appropriation is $1 per pupil per year for all library materials and supplies, including binding.

North Carolina would benefit appreciably by the passage of the proposed amendments to the Library Services Act for this comprehensive library bill would provide approximately $830,000 in Federal funds to be matched by about $432,000 from State or local sources that could be used to purchase school library materials and equipment; to do minor remodeling of inadequate facilities; and to strengthen school library supervision at the local level in public elementary and secondary schools. Approval of this measure would make it possible for all 173 school administrative units in North Carolina to provide guidance and leadership in developing strong systemwide library programs, and to strengthen library collections by adding many more books and audiovisual materials.

North Carolina was chosen as an example of a State that has exerted great effort toward attaining quality school library service: however, the present status of development in North Carolina public schools illustrates quite forcibly that Federal aid is needed in those States that have, over the years, made conscientious efforts to carry the burden of support alone, as well as in the 17 States that do not have at the State level even one qualified person to plan for and assist with the development and improvement of school libraries.

According to the library consultant of the county board of education, Jefferson County is

the only county in Alabama that has any money allotted by the board regularly for books and this is only 35 cents per pupil annually.

In the State of Washington the supervisor of school library services stated recently that in relation to national standards—

our school libraries lack adequate staff, quarters, materials, and financial support. We have only one librarian serving more than 1,000 children in elementary and secondary schools, instead of the recommended one for every 400.

Just as these States would benefit from the passage of the proposed legislation, so would all the States.

The effect of the Library Services Act has given ample proof of what a modest amount of Federal funds can do to stimulate the development of rural public libraries. We are sure that the same needed results for the other types of libraries would be achieved through this pending legislation. The Nation as a whole would be able to move forward on a unified basis toward comprehensive library development. This coordinated national program would involve public libraries in both rural and metropolitan areas, public elementary and secondary school libraries, libraries of institutions of higher education, and would provide for the training of librarians necessary to staff such libraries, to meet the increased educational, informational and research requirements of the people of our Nation.

In view of this testimony and the testimony that has preceded, the American Library Association, and its division, the American Association of School Librarians, therefore, urgently recommend that H.R. 11823 be given favorable consideration by this committee and that it be passed by the Congress.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, for your courtesy in permitting me to present this testimony for the American Library Association.

Mr. BAILEY. Mr. Scott, have you some questions?

Mr. SCOTT. Miss Bomar, you point out in your testimony that more than 40,000 of the public schools have no libraries at all. What library service do children have in those schools? Is anything available to them?

Miss BOMAR. Congressman Scott, I do not know that I can give you a very accurate answer about the type of library service available to the children who go to schools where there are no centralized school libraries. I can only tell you patterns of service. The most prevalent type is for each classroom to have a small collection of books and sometimes this collection numbers, I would say, from less than 50 volumes to maybe 200 or 300 volumes.

I think that I might be in a better position to say the types of services that these boys and girls do not have. They do not have oppor

tunity to a large variety of instructional materials to satisfy their personal and classroom assignment needs. They do not have a place where they can go as individuals or in small groups or entire classes for library experiences in a library in their school. They do not have opportunity to develop the skills that are necessary to use books in libraries effectively and, of course, most of all, they have no opportunity to develop the library habit.

Mr. SCOTT. Are all of the school library services in North Carolina under State control?

Miss BOMAR. I think you perhaps know more than any of the people in the room the type of organization we have in North Carolina. We do have a State department of public instruction but we are very conscious of trying to keep the control of the local school with the local school committee and the local school superintendent and the local school board of education, and in our work, whatever we do in the way of developing a statewide program, we always start at the grassroots and the people at the local level help us develop any plan that we have.

I suppose I could honestly say that our schools belong to the local communities.

Mr. SCOTT. In North Carolina you try to administer it in a way that is satisfactory to the local people, although that may vary from one area to another?

Miss BOMAR. That is right. We have different patterns of school organization. All of our schools are not organized in the same fashion because here, again, it depends upon the local needs and what the local community wants.

I might add that I was fortunate to be on the committees that developed the State plans for the title III of the National Education Act and we proceeded in North Carolina in the development of our State plan for the administration of this Federal program in the same way that we proceed with any program, and local committees worked with us in developing a State plan and in each local school system not only has the right but has the responsibility of developing its own State plan.

Our limitations came within the framework of the law, and how it was written.

Mr. SCOTT. What benefits have you had or received in North Carolina under the National Defense Education Act so far as libraries are concerned?

Miss BOMAR. I think because we were rather aggressive in the beginning that we have written into our plans every place we could the two words, "reference materials," and we have made every effort to take advantage of the National Defense Education Act and I think our record would show that probably we might be one of the leaders in this respect. But as you know, this particular title, title III, stresses the acquisition of equipment, and at no place does it specifically say libraries, and for that reason, in all of our planning, in a way, we have had to go all the way around the House to get to the front doorstep but we have made every effort we could.

Mr. SCOTT. I congratulate you on your fine statement. We are pleased to have you.

Mr. BAILEY. Miss Bomar, you have made an outstanding presentation, particularly of the situation as it exists in North Carolina.

Having been associated with educational programs from the time I entered Congress, I have learned that a lot of the good things in the field of education come from the State of North Carolina. I am glad to know that you are well organized down there and have your programs operating. That is why we are immensely concerned with giving you the necessary tools to work with and the trained personnel necessary to make the program work.

I noticed on page 2 of your proposal you say, speaking of matching and distribution of these funds—

Each State will draw its own plans. Responsibility for administering the State plan rests solely with the State.

In other words, this bill does not impose any Federal controls. We are supplying you that money just like we are in the present approach to Federal grants-in-aid for elementary and secondary schools. When that money is sent to North Carolina it will be for the use of the State of North Carolina in connection with the manner in which they use their own State funds for library purposes.

It is a State program. However, I think it will be necessary for the local communities to cooperate with the State with the idea of reaching every one of the areas within the State that has no library service. Certainly some of these 40,000 schools you are talking about, some of them must be in North Carolina, and there is a field there that will require State and local effort and State and local financing beyond what the Federal Government might provide.

It has been a pleasure to listen to your well-prepared statement. Thank you very much.

Mr. SCOTT. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to insert in the record at this point a letter from Dr. Charles F. Carroll, State superintendent of public instruction.

Mr. BAILEY. Without objection, it will be included in the record at this point.

(The letter follows:)

Hon. RALPH J. SCOTT,

U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA,
Raleigh, June 19, 1962.

DEAR MR. SCOTT: Miss Cora Bomar, State supervisor of school library services in our department, is keeping me informed of developments in the proposal to amend the Library Services Act. Both of us are genuinely grateful for your interest in this amendment as reflected in H.R. 11980.

As you know, North Carolina is intently pursuing all reasonable efforts to improve its public school system. In this process, considerable emphasis is being placed upon the necessity of training school librarians and maintaining adequate libraries as evidenced by increased appropriations for books and other instructional materials, at both State and local levels of support. Excellence in education, it is believed, is dependent upon every child having access to recent and reliable information in his classroom and in his central library.

I want to assure you of our appreciation for your support of the proposed legislation. Funds and services accruing to our public schools under the amendment would greatly accelerate the attainment of our objectives in public education in this State.

With best wishes, I am,
Cordially yours,

CHAS. F. CARROLL, State Superintendent Public Instruction.

Mr. BAILEY. I am pleased to welcome our next witness, Mr. John E. Scott, president of the West Virginia Library Association. Mr. Scott is librarian at West Virginia State College, which was established under the Morrill Act.

STATEMENT OF JOHN E. SCOTT, PRESIDENT, WEST VIRGINIA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION AND LIBRARIAN, WEST VIRGINIA STATE COLLEGE

Mr. SCOTT. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee.

My name is John E. Scott. I am librarian of West Virginia State College and president of the West Virginia Library Association. The West Virginia Library Association is a statewide organization whose membership includes librarians, trustees, and other persons interested in libraries, and is a chapter of the American Library Association. The West Virginia Library Association is pleased to have this opportunity to state its support of 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 college and university libraries, eligible for benefits under that act, and for other purposes.

We are convinced that the original act passed in 1956 and extended in 1960 has proved to be very beneficial to the Nation. However, we believe that this act should now be amended to include other types of libraries and library services in order to better meet the changing needs and problems which we face today.

As the nations of the world are drawn more closely together by modern communication and transportation facilities, the need for everyone to be well informed becomes more urgent. This is particularly true in a democratic society such as ours and we cannot be satisfied until good library service is available for all of our citizens from preschool age to adults, living in cities and the suburbs around them, as well as rural areas. To accomplish this goal, all types of libraries, including school libraries, public libraries, and college and university libraries must be strengthened to provide high-level service.

The Library Services Act has had, and continues to have, a tremendous impact on the progress of library service in the Nation since it was passed in 1956. Important changes have already been made toward development of rural public library service. Approximately 36 million citizens in rural areas have received new or improved library services, over 8 million books and other materials have been added to the resources of rural libraries, and over 250 new bookmobiles are now in operation.

In West Virginia alone, under the direction of the State's library commission, we have been able to provide improved or extended library service to more than 440,000 citizens since the first Library Services Act was passed in 1956. Over 158,000 books have been added to the resources of rural libraries in West Virginia, 10 new bookmobiles have been placed in operation, and the West Virginia Library Commission has increased its staff with 2 additional field consultants to provide advisory and technical aid.

All of these achievements under the Library Services Act have been worthwhile but the deficiencies in library service in our country are still great. Many demands are being made upon libraries today due to the population explosion that is taking place, the rising demand for more and better education which requires wide reading, the increase of leisure time due to automation, the increasing number of