who have preceded me before this Subcommittee have put before you their insights concerning a very broad range of problems with which today's libraries are confronted. The more limited subject that I am prepared to discuss is the contribution that new technology may make to the solution of some of these problems. Faced with the difficulties which the rapid growth of knowledge has inflicted on our libraries, it is natural for 20th-century Western society to seek solutions in its flourishing technology. The prospects are very bright indeed for large contributions from technical advances in microfilming and electrophotographic copying and in electronic data processing.

It is now possible, for example, to put large quantities of text on microphotographic records for compact storage and archival security. Low-cost duplicates of such records can be made on demand for users who wish to look at the material on microform readers in the library or elsewhere. Full-sized paper copies of individual pages can also be made on demand. These developments open the possibility that the lending of library materials will be largely superseded by the distribution of low-cost duplicates. Then the use of a particular library item by one reader need no longer preclude its concurrent use by others.

The images of text stored on microforms can also be transmitted over electrical circuits. One can visualize a procedure in which the user manipulates a keyboard to call up an item from the library's holdings. Images of successive pages of the selected item may be presented for brief examination on a screen; the push of a button will result in prompt delivery of paper or film duplicates of pages desired for protracted study or permanent retention. Access terminals of this type may be remote from the central information store; they may be geographically dispersed throughout a wide user community.

At the same terminals, access can be provided to a time-shared computer facility which contains the library's catalog and related bibliographic information in its magnetic memory. A teletypewriter dialog will lead the user to publications that are relevant to his interests. As these computer-communications systems come into general use, they will be interconnected to form regional and national information transfer networks, so that the resources available to each user will be enormously widened.

Experimentation with new technological approaches to library problems is going forward in universities, in industry, in local and state governments, and in the federal establishment. Only a few examples will be mentioned to illustrate the extent of the federal interest in this field: The Library of Congress, the National Library of Medicine, and the National Agricultural Library have taken important steps toward the utilization of computers in bibliographic services. The Atomic Energy Commission and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration have been conspicuous among many federal agencies that have established technically advanced information systems for the dissemination of research results. Library research projects involving new technology have been sponsored by the Office of Education, and a broad range of projects directed at improved information transfers in science and engineering has been supported by the Office of Science Information Services. The Office of Science and Technology has taken on the task of coordinating the information programs of a number of federal activities; it has also sponsored a major planning study for a national document handling system in science and technology.

What is lacking is a central agency for the development of a national plan that will give broad purpose and direction to these many activities. The National Commission on Libraries and Information Science proposed in H.R. 8839 is the first and most important step toward that end. The combined judgment of experienced librarians and engineers is needed to guide the application of new information transfer technology toward objectives that are consistent with national goals.

In addressing itself to that task, the Commission will have to deal with two widespread misconceptions concerning new technology in the library field. The first of these mistaken notions is that everything is known about how to use computers and display terminals in the library, that the equipment is ready and waiting on the manufacturers' shelves, and that its early use is retarded only by the unenlightened hostility of conservative librarians. There has been some thoughtless overselling by enthusiastic engineers who had no adequate grasp of the complexity of library problems, just as there has been some thoughtless opposition by dedicated librarians, who failed to understand that the threat to the traditional regime was the flood of publication rather than the impact of technology. No such rhetoric will tell us how to plan wisely for the use of new

technology. We need more experiments and pilot operations to develop an understanding of the interactions between technically advanced library systems and their users. Only by intelligent experimentation can we hope to provide a solid foundation for the design of future libraries.

The second misconception is that the ultimate objective of the new technology is the elimination of the printed page as a vehicle of information transfer. No competent engineer, however hard he may work on alternative approaches to information storage and display, believes that the extinction of the "Gutenberg galaxy" is just around the corner. What is really in prospect to libraries and information centers is an extremely fluid pattern of operations in which text is stored in a variety of forms, is easily transmitted to remote terminals, is displayed on screens or, at the option of the user, reproduced as print on paper. In this pattern, the printed page will occupy an important position for a long time to come. The problem will be to apply the new technology to reinforce rather than weaken the information transfer links that have been created in five centuries of printing.

The proposed Commission will thus face an extraordinary challenge. It will have to reconcile the conflicting views of innovators and conservationists. It will have to plan for the most effective combination of what is promising in new technology and what is sound in established practice. At all times, the Commission will be aware that knowledge is power, and that access to knowledge must be one of the rights of free citizens. The recognition of that right and the judicious exploitation of new technology may enable the Commission to bring about the great resurgence of library progress that our society needs.

Mr. BRADEMAS. Mr. White?

STATEMENT OF HERBERT S. WHITE, PRESIDENT, SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION

Mr. WHITE. As you requested, I will excerpt my remarks. I have submitted a full statement and I ask that that be included in the record. Mr. BRADEMAS. Without objection, so ordered. (Mr. White's prepared statement follows:)

PREPARED STATEMENT BY HERBERT S. WHITE, PRESIDENT,* SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION

Mr. Chairman: The Special Libraries Association appreciates the opportunity you have offered to it to present its testimony on H.R. 8839, a bill to establish a National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. The Special Li'braries Association was established in 1909, and has a present membership in excess of 7,000 individuals, primarily in the United States, with two Canadian Chapters. The membership of the Association is concentrated in libraries and information centers in business and industry, in governmental libraries and information facilities, and in specialized subject collections in universities and public libraries. The main emphasis of the Association and its programs over the 60 years of its existence is embodied in its slogan "putting knowledge to work." With this strong regard for meeting information requirements as they have developed, it will not be surprising to the Committee to learn that much of the developmental and pioneering implementation regarding new methods of storing and transmitting information, and regarding new and expanded services oriented to the direct needs of the library user, has come through our members in the libraries and information centers which they manage. While there is close coordination between ourselves and other associations in this field, most notably the American Library Association and the American Society for Information Science, the Special Libraries Association represents a unique and significant part of the profession concerned with librarianship and information science, and we appreciate the opportunity to be heard.

The Special Libraries Association considered the Report of the National Advisory Commission on Libraries at meetings of both its Board of Directors and its Advisory Council in January of this year. After considerable discussion,

*Mr. White is also Vice President, Leasco Systems & Research Corp., Bethesda, Maryland.

the Board of Directors voted its endorsement of the Report, and specifically of its recommendation for the establishment of a National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. In view of this, we endorse the proposal of H.R. 8839 to establish such a Commission.

In further discussion, the Board of Directors of the Special Libraries Association also expressed its support of the proposed establishment of a Federal Institute of Library and Information Science, and stated our strong interest in participating in the planning and implementation of this Institute. Additional feelings centered on what we felt were shortcomings and omissions in the initial report, not for the purpose of criticism, but rather with a positive view toward correction of any such deficiencies in contemplated legislation. In the specific comments I will now make I speak for myself as an individual, although, as President of the Special Libraries Association, I think I am reasonably cognizant of the interests in this regard of much of the membership. I will also, in the interest of the Committee's time, restrict my comments to those areas in which the Special Libraries Association can speak from a uniquely knowledgeable position, and will avoid repetition of our agreement with supporting testimony presented by other Library and Information Science Associations. This lack of comment, however, does not and should not be construed to imply lack of support.

I urge that in the establishment of the National Commission, in the selection of its membership, and in the delineation of its specific responsibilities, greater emphasis be placed on the interaction with and reliance upon special libraries and information centers, particularly as these occur in the private sector. The assumption is frequently made, and perhaps inadvertently perpetuated in the Report of the National Advisory Commission on Libraries, that most such specialized collections are small, that they serve only the limited body of information users within the organization, and that they draw heavily on the resources of public and university libraries. While such reliance and usage certainly does occur, it is only part of a two-way communication street. For many specialized disciplines, the great information resources are in fact located in specialized collections held by governmental agencies, non-profit foundations, and private corporations. A total effective nation-wide resource utilization program, such as I am sure is envisaged by the National Advisory Commission and by the sponsors of H.R. 8839, must take cognizance of the existence of these specialized collections, and must consider equitable means to draw them into the total

resource.

A second point I would like to stress is the need for recognition, in the enabling legislation and in the charter and plan of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, of the fact that the libraries and information centers of our nation must deal with information and knowledge embodied in many forms, and must be able to deal successfully with these regardless of format. Books and periodicals are generally and immediately thought of as prime conveyors of information. The report literature, representing a more rapid and more informal method of presentation in response to urgent time pressures, is largely an outgrowth of World War II. Despite the popularity of this medium for a quarter of a century, little cognizance has been given to this significant method of information storage and transmission, and national consideration of this question has been noticeably and regrettably lacking. In addition, our libraries and information centers are, in increasing degree, relying on other forms of media, including audio-visual materials, slides, films, records, clippings, microfilm and other microforms, magnetic tapes and other formats for compressed storage and transmittal. None of these is in any way more or less significant than any other. What is significant is the fact that the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science must recognize its responsibility to deal with information in all formats, presently available and contemplated. Many of these information formats introduce problems and require an expertise in areas outside what has long been considered "traditional" librarianship.

I will perhaps startle the members of this Committee, when I state that, in my judgment, the most significant problem facing American libraries is not one of money. Having said this, let me quickly add that adequate financial support of library programs at all levels of our society is a critical requirement for the success of any National program, and the Special Libraries Association, and I personally, certainly support both the recommendations of the National Advisory Commission and of other witnesses in this regard.

The most significant problem, in my judgment, however, involves the investigation, determination, and implementation of programs for standardization, cooperation, and shared uitlization of materials and analysis. With the critical shortage of funds which all libraries and information centers face, much money is inefficiently allocated at the local level to redundant and overlapping efforts in ordering and processing because of a lack of standard approaches of universal acceptance. Selection programs are only beginning to take cognizance of other selection programs in cooperative endeavors, which might permit the acquisition of more materials which could be justified on a shared cost but not individual basis. Things are beginning to happen in this area but what has happened has only served to emphasize what can still be done and should be done. To a great extent, multiple and redundant intellectual analyses of acquired materials, where specialized approaches for a unique reader population cannot be justified, still take place, and the emphasis on materials acquisitions is still to a great extent on the construction of individual monuments of knowledge rather than on the total information requirements of the nation. One user's information requirements should be equally well served if his library does not have a specific item, but another library does and he can have access to it quickly and simply. President Johnson's charge to the National Advisory Commission on Libraries invited specific recommendations in this area, which the Commission was not able to give, largely because of pressures of time. It is essential that the proposed National Commission face these questions squarely and courageously. The problems posed are far from simple, and enter the sensitive area of potential government dictation and the freedom to read. Nevertheless, development of a national program, and investigation, development and implementation of the technological advances to make this possible, can only practicably come about through the Federal government, and it is my hope that the National Advisory Commission will consider this a matter of immediate priority. Since the technological developments to accomplish these objectives involve independent problems of complex magnitude, the establishment of a Federal Institute of Library and Information Science, to serve as the principal center for basic and applied research, as proposed in the report of the National Advisory Commission on Libraries, is considered as a matter of critical importance, to be implemented through proposed legislation as rapidly as possible. Much of the basic technology to accomplish national interactive networks exists. What does not exist are the applications design and engineering to produce equipment optimally designed for use in libraries and information centers, the cost analyses necessary, the Federal support needed to implement more experimental and pilot programs, and the Federal inducement to libraries to urge compliance. Such development is, in my judgment, crucial. Sharing of national resources cannot proceed very efficiently if it must depend on the manner in which the U.S. mails handle interlibrary loan packages.

One further comment will address itself to the composition of the proposed National Commission. The problems concerning adequate library and information service for a nation are complex, and require an understanding of and deep involvement with the many factors which must be considered. A proposed limitation in the number of librarians and information specialists is, I think sound, although the limitation to one-third of the Commission membership is perhaps unduly constrictive. Most significant is the need, in the selection of membership with "special competence or interest in the needs of our society for library and information services", for the choosing of individuals who provide not just scholarship and dedication, but also some appreciation of the ramifications of present-day problems in information transmittal and usage. If this is not done, the Commission will again spend much of its time on a primer of familiarization, which will delay its work and limit its ability to reach direct conclusions and make specific recommendations.

The problems which confront our nation, in its need and striving to provide adequate and efficient library services to all of its citizens, are almost overpowering and their solution will require our very best efforts. It should not be inferred from what I have said earlier that the emphasis is primarily technological. It is more than that. What is needed is a total re-examination of the techniques and value systems which govern library service today-a re-examination, in the light of the needs of today's and tomorrow's societies, of the level of access to library materials to which our citizens are entitled, and of the adequacy and relevance of the information service which we supply. Our techniques

and our standards have remained largely unchanged, while the society in which our libraries and information centers function has been altered drastically.

The National Commission on Libraries and Information Science must spearhead these searching inquiries, and it is not difficult to presage a formidable and complex task. It is important that the legislation to establish this Commission clearly point to this challenge, as HR 8839 does, and that the Presidential appointees to the Commission be selected for their competence for and willingness to undertake such a major assignment.

As a final comment, I would like to re-emphasize our support of this legislation to give cognizance to this area of great national concern and responsibility. The Special Libraries Association, and its membership, pledges its cooperation and assistance in any manner in which this can be effectively rendered.

Mr. WHITE. The Special Libraries Association, which was established in 1909, has a present membership of 7,000 individuals. It is primarily concentrated in libraries and information centers in business and industry, in governmental libraries and information facilities, and in specialized subject collections in universities and public libraries.

The main emphasis of its programs over the 60 years is embodied in the slogan "putting knowledge to work."

With this strong regard for meeting information requirements, I think it would not then be surprising to the committee that our association has been very much involved in the developmental and pioneering implementation regarding new methods of storing and transmitting information.

We interact very closely with our sister associations, the American Library Association and the American Society for Information Science.

The board of directors of the Special Libraries Association considered the report of the National Advisory Commission on Libraries at its mid-winter meetings in January at Rochester, N.Y., and voted unanimously to support the establishment of the permanent National Commission, as well as the establishment of the Federal Institute of Library and Information Science.

The points that we would specifically want to call to the committee's attention include the need for the recognition that special libraries, particularly as they exist in industry and in Government agencies, form a very, very important part of the information resources of our Nation.

It is sometimes automatically assumed that these libraries are small; that they are weak; and that they rely heavily on information from other libraries. In actuality, it is very much of a two-way process. Many of the special libraries' collections contain very unique information, and it is very important in considering the national resources for library information service that this be considered in its totality. Furthermore, I think it is important that it also be recognized that when we talk in terms of libraries we are talking about many different kinds of materials for storage and transmittal of information. Books and periodicals are predominant and will continue to be predominant; slides, films, records, clippings, mircofilm, and other kinds of microforms, magnetic tapes, and others are all significant, and as significant. It is our feeling, certainly that the establishment of a National Commission on Libraries and Information Science is of extreme importance.