quality of life of all citizens, they should be eligible for govern. ment support.

Regarding the problem of funding for Federal programs in all subject areas, the Commission issued a resolution that could lead to programs particularly beneficial to academic and independent research libraries:

Resolved, that the need for appropriate documentation, bibliographical, and other information resources should be recognized in Federal programs, and that provision for support be included in executive orders and other implementing directives.

Adequacies and Deficiencies of Present

Libraries and Information Systems

The Commission is charged with appraising the adequacies and deficiencies in libraries and information resources and services. In its planning the Commission must endeavor to help overcome the shortcomings it finds in information delivery systems and libraries. It should not diminish this activity by attempting to upgrade services and systems that are already adequate. There is no guidance that the Commission has found as to which systems are adequate; several steps have been taken to fill this gap.

The chairman has appointed a committee to provide the Commission with an initial overview of current resources and services. The regional hearings, together with the testimony heard in Washington, will provide descriptions of deficiencies as they are perceived by others. Library publications and other literature are being searched and studied to add to the Commission's knowledge. From the adequacies and deficiencies enumerated, defined and measured, the committee and the Commission will develop priorities for planning and action.

In one area, that of interlibrary loan, the Commission has elected to begin specific planning at once. Because the need for improvement in this area was obvious, a contract was let to the Association of Research Libraries to determine whether a single national center or a system of regional centers should be established as a resource for users seeking materials not available locally. This contract was coordinated with one issued by the National Science Foundation to investigate other aspects of resource centers for interlibrary loan. The problems are not easy ones, and the complete planning for a solution may be some years away. Meanwhile, the Commission is observing the new developments in the Center for Research Libraries, Chicago, III., with keen interest.

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The Commission also recognizes other deficiencies that require immediate action. One of these is the copyright problem. Interlibrary loan, users' access to material, and the development of library networks are involved in the outcome of this issue. A case in point involves the claim of copyright infringement by a journal publisher against the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Library of Medicine. The Commission put its position in the following resolution:

The National Commission on Libraries and Information Science notes the report of Commissioner James F. Davis to the U.S. Court of Claims in the copyright infringement suit of Williams and Wilkins v. The United States.

Since the facts and opinions of the case are still before the Court, this Commission does not wish to comment upon the possible findings or actions. We recognize, however, that the findings in this case may have profound impact on the public's access to information.

The Commission believes that the necessary legal framework for resolving the issue of "fair use" by libraries and library users must be sought through legislation. To this end, the Commission strongly recommends that Congress enact a revision of the Copyright Act as soon as possible.

Later, the Commission appointed a committee to keep up with copyright legislative developments.

A Commission committee has been established to examine the specific adequacies and deficiencies of the services of the Library of Congress. The committee will examine all of the current service functions of the Library and give special attention to those that are used by other libraries and information services. The collection, loan, and publishing programs and policies of all service divisions will be carefully reviewed. As the largest U.S. library, the Library of Congress fulfills many of the functions of a national library. The Commission is eager to determine what the role of the Library of Congress could be in a national system and what obstacles preclude the fulfillment of that role. The members are fully aware of the Library's urgent need for added space that will be provided by the scheduled completion of the Madison Memorial Library in 1976. Commission planning in the next few years is likely to lean heavily on what can be done by the Library of Congress to meet the information needs of users directly or indirectly through other libraries and services.

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Applications of New Technology

The technology of computers and communications, of reprography and photography, have already had a deep and lasting effect on libraries and information services. As the technology improves and as its application becomes less expensive, the impact will increase. Libraries and information services that have not yet begun to embrace the latest products or methods utilizing technology will be expected to do so. The Commission's role in the application of new technology is that of a cautious advocate. It appears likely that computers can offer benefits to information system users and that micromaterials can improve users' access to the published record. The Commission aims to understand more than the technical potential of these new forms of information and data storage and retrieval. It will also assess the utility to the user and the costs in terms of national resources involved in changing long-established methods to newer

ones.

The chairman has appointed a committee to lead this work. Awareness of the current situation in the use of new technology in libraries is one of the committee's tasks. More important, the committee will recommend for Commission action the reviews and studies that will provide necessary background for planning in this field.

Improved Staffing

Unless new technology provides information systems that do not involve the user with an intermediary human assistant in the form of a librarian or an information specialist, it is im-' portant that those giving assistance be qualified for their work. Poor help in identifying and locating information is bad for the user and will ultimately damage the organization that provides the inadequate service. The Commission's focus on the user makes it necessary to be concerned with the numbers, capabilities, and distribution of those who provide information service. In this matter, the Commission concurs fully with the library associations that have appeared at its meetings.

Selection, education, and re-education appear to be the primary needs to be met. While the Commission has not yet initi. ated detailed analyses in this area, it has begun to collect information on personnel in libraries, library schools, and related employment areas. Information on curriculum development and changes in training for information workers is also being collected for the Commission.

CONCLUSION

The Commission has begun its work. The members and staff have organized for action and together have examined their charge with care. Important contacts have been made with other organizations, and the door is open for continued liaison. A philosophy, embracing the idea that Commission plans will be oriented toward the information user, has been enunciated. Studies are underway in several high priority areas. Data from research done for others is receiving careful review. Resolutions have been issued to express the Commission's concern for current problems. Plans are in readiness for a second year of activity.

In 1973 the Commission expects to define and delineate its selected priorities with care and continue the gathering of data and ideas needed for planning.

Regional hearings will provide specific knowledge on current adequacies and deficiencies of libraries and information systems. The hearings will also give the Commission useful insights into the perception of information needs in the Midwest, Far West, and Southeast. These hearings are expected to uncover some thought-provoking ideas for meeting the needs expressed.

Contract studies begun in 1972 will be continued and, in some cases, concluded or extended in new directions. At least two of the studies now in progress are considered exploratory in nature. If the early results are useful, comprehensive studies will begin on users' information needs and the funding of public