opportunity be resolved. Therefore, it is recommended that studies leading to the achievement of this goal be pursued vigorously in the national interest and that the coordinating agency be a permanent National Commssion on Libraries and Information Science. Such a Commission from its overall viewpoint could lend forceful support on budget matters, on executive policy, and on communication techniques which should mold the libraries throughout the Nation. There is no existing mechanism or agency that can be this representative, nor exert such broad influence.

The permanent National Commission on Libraries and Information Science will be able to see the country's information system as a whole and the relationship of all libraries to it, as well as the interrelationships among the various types of units. Thus it would ensure that the various links in the overall library and information network continue to form an effective chain of responsibility for service, from the smallest to the largest unit and from the richest to the poorest.

Although this present legislation only deals with the establishment of a National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, it is seen by the American Library Association as a cardinal first step toward the long-range action objectives so clearly enunciated by the National Advisory Commission on Libraries.

I appreciate the opportunity which your Committee has afforded me in presenting testimony on this desirable legislation.

RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE ALA COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, AT THE ASSOCIATION'S MIDWINTER CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON, D.C., JANUARY 30, 1969

Whereas, the Report of the National Advisory Commission on Libraries is the result of comprehensive study into the current status and future needs of the Nation's libraries and of extensive citizen hearings; and,

Whereas, the Commisison's Report, received by the President of the United States October 15, 1968, is the most far-reaching statement of library needs and goals ever enunciated by an official body of the Federal Government; and,

Whereas, this document presents a perceptive appraisal of the immediate and future requirements of all types of libraries to enable them to serve more effectively as vital, relevant institutions for all the people, and proposes responsible and realistic objectives to overcome current inadequacies and develop library services to their full potential; and,

Whereas, the National Advisory Commission on Libraries has recommended "That it be declared National Policy that the American people should be provided with library and information services adequate to their needs, and that the Federal Government, in collaboration with State and local governments and private agencies, should exercise leadership in assuring the provision of such services"; and

Whereas, the necessity for coordinated, long-range planning and evaluation to determine feasible ways of meeting the new and growing demands of library users is widely recognized;

Now, therefore, be it resolved, that we, the Council of the American Library Association, do hereby endorse and support the statement of National Policy and the establishment by Congress of a permanent National Commission on Libraries and Information Science as a continuing Federal planning agency.

RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMISSION ON LIBRARIES

Whereas, the Mountain-Plains Library Association, comprising the States of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming, is assembled in conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, to consider "The Challenge of Change to Mountain-Plains Libraries," and

Whereas, the Mountain-Plains Library Association has received the Report of the National Advisory Commission on Libraries and found it highly commendable and worthy of implementation, inasmuch as it points out the historical highlights and structural necessities of library service and recommends responsible and realistic objectives to overcome current inadequacies and develop library and information services for the Nation's future needs, and

Whereas, the Mountain-Plains Library Association has noted and found laudable the recognition of the criterion of social value that pervades every existing and conceivable library and information function,

Now, therefore be it resolved that we, the Mountain-Plains Library Association, do hereby endorse and support the recommendation of the National Advisory Commission on Libraries:

That it be declared National Policy, enunciated by the President and enacted into law by the Congress that the American people should be provided with library and information services adequate to their needs, and that the Federal Government, in collaboration with State and local governments and private agencies, should exercise leadership in assuring the provision of such services.

And finally, be it resolved that the Mountain-Plains Library Association urges and supports the efforts of the Committee on Legislation of the American Library Association to work for implementation of the recommendations for achieving the objectives set forth in the Report of the National Advisory Commission on Libraries, particularly the establishment of a National Commission on Libraries and Information Science as a continuing Federal planning agency.

Mr. MCDONOUGH. I would like to begin, however, and I thought of this as I listened to Mr. Elliott's eloquent remarks and talked with Mr. Daniels informally before the hearing opened, by saying that I have been in the business of library planning for over 30 years, when I served as a member of the Regional Library Development Committee back in the mid-1930's.

When I look back on it, our progress was agonizingly slow and I think this has been the case throughout the country in other States and regions.

And for this reason, sir, I look upon this proposal that is encompassed in your bill to establish a permanent National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, as really a tremendous development which is the culmination of what we have been working toward for many, many years.

I think that when this Commission is established-and I think it will be, sir—that libraries will have arrived at a point that is unparalleled in the history of the country.

Our association, as I believe you know, includes more than 40,000 librarians, trustees, and others, representing all kinds of libraries, public school, college, university, special-meaning those in business and industry, et cetera.

I speak as the president of that association and in my capacity as State Librarian of New Jersey, where I, in addition to serving the legislature with our traditional legislative reference service, also administer some Federal programs, the Library Services and Construction Act, and title II of the 1965 legislation, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

I wish to endorse wholeheartedly H.R. 8839, which has been introduced into the House to establish a permanent National Commission on Libraries and Information Science.

I should like to add, also, that the Council of the American Library Association, our governing body, adopted a resolution here in Washington in January at its midwinter meeting, approving the principles embodied in H.R. 8839 and other similar measures. I have already asked to have that resolution introduced into the record.

We welcomed the establishment of the National Advisory Commission in 1966 and we looked forward to the far-reaching and thorough survey which the Commission completed, as well as the recommendations in its report which was presented to the President last October.

In our opinion, if these recommendations are implemented, the longrange objectives in providing adequate library and information service to all the American people can be achieved.

As you well know, the Advisory Commission's first and most important recommendation that must be implemented is the establishment of a permanent National Commission on Libraries and Information Science as a continuing Federal agency for broad planning and coordination. As the Advisory Commission, in its consensus report, stated:

The present Commission's efforts to analyze current and future national library needs, assess the strengths and weaknesses of existing library resources and services, and evaluate the effects of library legislation, leave the members with the absolute conviction that the goal of library adequacy will be achieved only as a consequence of long-range planning and fostering of the evolutionary process of library development. This will require taking advantage of present and emerging knowledge in information science; it will require encouraging and exploiting future research.

.. it should be stated here that the tasks of analyzing the needs, broad planning, setting standards, allocating resources, measuring performance, and coordinating efforts will be difficult and complex in the years ahead. Effective progress will require the sustained effort of the recommended ongoing National Commission on Libraries and Information Science working with Federal agencies, the national libraries, and many other institutions, groups, and individuals.

The permanent ongoing National Commission on Libraries and Information Science should be charged with the responsibility of preparing full-scale plans to deal with the Nation's library and information needs, and for advising the Federal Government and other agencies, institutions, and groups-both public and private with respect to those needs.

The permanent Commission would make recommen ons for the coordination of existing library and information science resources and services which are an integral part of all communities, schools, colleges, universities, and other organizations and institutions. In addition, it would have the responsibility of advising the Federal Government on further national requirements for such resources and services.

The need of the Nation for library services and resources goes far beyond what is encompassed in the legislation already in effect and programs in operation. The Commission will not be a new layer placed on existing layers of governmental activity. Instead, it will be concerned with evaluating all library and information activities, both within and without the Government, and proposing measures to mitigate deficiencies found to exist.

There has been substantial progress attributable to legislation enacted by the Congress during the last 10 years, although the level of appropriations has been far below the authorizations which represented minimum requirements. The gap between current resources and actual needs is so great that unless giant steps are taken to close it. soon, the Nation's libraries will be dangerously inadequate in face of unparalleled growth of population and knowledge.

And I think former Congressman Elliott has testified very eloquently to that point.

Library resources encompass human knowledge in all its forms, totality, and complexity, and must be organized in ways that will make it possible to readily locate and disseminate ideas and information to satisfy the needs and demands of individuals and groups in our dynamic society.

A long tradition has existed of free access to libraries in America. This tradition is reflected in each statement of standards published by the various types of libraries. In each instance, it is emphasized that convenient access is central to fulfillment of the library's purpose in relationship to the needs of its constituency-be it public school, academic, institutional, or any kind of library.

According to the report of the National Advisory Commission on Libraries:

New thinking and planning are critically needed regarding the distribution of responsibility and financial support to the various types of libraries if we are to serve the increasing demands.

It also goes on to state:

To avoid haphazard and fragmented response to the inevitable forces of a changing society, national planning is required that can be used to guide the next steps of all participants toward a recognized and achievable goal of adequate library service to all Americans. Because of the deep involvement of the Federal Government as producer, processor and user of information, and because this is a matter closely touching the national welfare, the leadership of the Federal Government is essential to the success of any plan.

The ultimate solution to this large and complex national problem would lie in the development by the proposed Commission of national plans which would serve as the framework for total library service for all. It would produce a coordinated attack based on experience, cooperation, innovation, and the results of research deeper and broader in scope than has ever been undertaken. New concepts must be expanded and old ones reevaluated. The National Commission on Libraries and Information Science would not be taking the place of any existing agency or mechanism, but it would coordinate objectives and activities and thereby eliminate wasteful duplication and fragmentation of efforts.

Only through the development of a network of library and information services which can cope with equal effectiveness with the needs of the undereducated, as well as the most sophisticated, will the problem of equal information opportunity be resolved. Therefore, it is recommended that studies leading to the achievement of this goal be pursued vigorously in the national interest and that the coordinating agency be a permanent National Commission on Libraries and Information Science.

Such a Commission, from its overall viewpoint, could lend forceful support on budget matters, on executive policy, and on communication techniques which should mold the libraries throughout the Nation. There is no existing mechanism or agency that can be this representative, nor exert such broad influence.

The permanent National Commission On Libraries and Information Science will be able to see the country's information system as a whole and the relationship of all libraries to it, as well as the interrelationships among the various types of units. Thus, it would insure that the various links in the overall library and information network continue to form an effective chain of responsibility for service, from the smallest to the largest unit and from the richest to the poorest.

Although this present legislation only deals with the establishment of a National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, it is seen by the American Library Association as a cardinal first step

toward the long-range action objectives so clearly enunciated by the National Advisory Commission on Libraries.

I appreciate the opportunity to appear before your committee on behalf of this legislation.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. BRADEMAS. Thank you very much, Mr. McDonough.

STATEMENT OF ROBERT VOSPER, UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES, REPRESENTING THE ASSOCIATION OF RESEARCH LIBRARIES

Mr. VOSPER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I am Robert Vosper, university librarian of the University of California, Los Angeles.

I think one of the interesting things thus far in the library profession and its service to the people in this country and many others is that library organizations persistently work together and do not compete with each other.

The group I represent is primarily made up of large academic and research libraries from UCLA to Wisconsin and Texas. These libraries cooperate voluntarily not only with academic libraries, but also with the large public libraries and other research libraries that serve the country.

I will try, Mr. Chairman, not to read my paper but to concentrate on two or three pertinent points. I would appreciate having the full report read into the record along with the accompanying recommendation from the association.

Mr. BRADEMAS. Without objection, so ordered.

(The statement and recommendation referred to follow :)

STATEMENT BY ROBERT VOSPER

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee: I am Robert Vosper, University Librarian of the University of California, Los Angeles, and also a Director and former Chairman of the Association of Research Libraries, the organization which I am representing today.

The Association of Research Libraries (generally known as ARL), established in 1932, comprises 80 institutional members, the larger university libraries of the country and certain other research libraries of national importance. A list of the members has been given to the Committee. While these are independent institutions serving particular clienteles, they are voluntarily interrelated in a variety of ways so that their collections and services are widely available to scholars and advanced students throughout the country. They have long recognized this larger social responsibility and have continuously been seeking ways to improve and extend their capacity thus to serve the nation. The support of the Congress in the Higher Education Act has also been of assistance in this regard.

In this effort to increase our coordinate strength and efficiency, we have increasingly felt the need for an overall guiding intelligence at the national level. Thus, in behalf of the Association, I am pleased to support H.R. 8839 which would establish a permanent National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. May I also append to my testimony a copy of the ARL's official statement in support of this and other aspects of the Report of the earlier National Advisory Commission on Libraries.

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, it is not merely trite to say that we are at a crucial turning point in the history of libraries. This is why the United States needs such a Commission-to be certain that we go down the right road, at the proper speed, and with continuous rather than intermittent guidance. I remember an earlier turning point when the Congress provided timely lead