the White House Conference on Library and Information Services. However, the actual content of the Conference- and, therefore, its results was determined primarily by the delegates themsleves in working sessions. Work Sessions The Conference was composed of small group working sessions, theme sessions, general sessions, formal hearings, and social events. The process was designed to provide a mechanism whereby resolutions could be worked out in small groups and considered for final action by the entire voting body, after priority-setting in theme sessions. Delegates were assigned to one of 34 small group working sessions, according to their choice of theme area. The primary task of the small work groups was to formulate resolutions. Combinations and refinements of these initial resolutions were handled at each of the five theme sessions. Prior to the Conference, the question of time allocation had been hotly debated by many constituent groups. The final schedule, which was adopted by delegates, allowed for nine hours of small group work sessions, six hours for theme sessions, and six hours for general voting sessions. This allowed maximum time for deliberation and voting on final recommendations and resolutions. Rules The rights and responsibilities of participants and the procedures of the Conference were governed by Conference Rules. In order to provide maximum participation in the development of the rules of the Conference, a first draft was published in the Federal Register on September 13, 1979. After extensive public comment, revised rules appeared in the Federal Register of October 18, 1979, with the final draft distributed to delegates when they arrived at the National Conference on November 15, 1979, when they were formally adopted. Aspects of the Conference covered by the rules included the definition of roles of participants; rules on replacement of delegates; voting procedures (including a suggestion of a paper ballot procedure); seating of delegates and alternates; rights of alternates or others to speak in working group, theme, or general sessions; deadlines for suggestions of new business; quorums; executive sessions; and credentials of delegates. To provide for maximum control of the resolutions process, six Resolutions Committees, composed solely of delegates, was established. Resolutions Process Since the critical work of the Conference was the creation of resolutions, this process was very clearly outlined in the rules. The process provided for the progression of resolutions from small work groups to theme sessions and finally to the general session for adoption. Two types of resolutions committees were involved in the process: Five Theme Resolutions Committees and a General Resolutions Committee. Each small work group elected a committee member to serve on the Theme Resolutions Committee for that theme. These committees synthesized resolutions produced by work groups in each theme area. The General Resolutions Committee was composed of two elected delegates from each of the theme areas, who were chosen from among the members of each of the Theme Resolutions Committees. The purpose of this committee was to define recommendations, eliminate redundancy, and present the resolutions from each of the theme areas to the general voting body. Delegates were assisted in this process at the small group working level by facilitators. Facilitators were trained at a two-and-one-half day workshop run by the A. K. Rice Institute just prior to the Conference. The role of these highly dedicated individuals can best be summarized in their own definition: "Those who have agreed to be facilitators recognize that their role is to manage the discussion, decisionmaking and elective processes in the small workshops and to work with the recorder in processing the resolutions work sheets. It is not part of the facilitator's function to act as a resource person or as a delegate with decision-making powers." During the first sessions, each small work group selected its delegate representatives to its respective Theme Resolutions Committee. These representatives met on the first evening of the Conference and again after the second round of small group working sessions with the theme moderators for each of their respective themes. During the second meeting, the representatives exchanged information as to the expected products of their small group working sessions in order to note any similarities or differences. Each of the Theme Resolutions Committees operated in a unique manner as decided upon by its members. After all of the theme sessions had been completed, the General Resolutions Committee convened and established the working procedure for the first general voting session of the Conference. The General Resolutions Committee was authorized to combine and reword similar resolutions which had come from the five theme sessions and to rework these resolutions for presentation and for voting at the final session. Seventeen such resolutions were presented by the General Resolutions Committee. In addition to the formal resolutions process described above, the rules provided for a more informal petition process whereby additional resolutions could be introduced. A total of 32 such resolutions were submitted. The delegates voted to consider nine of the 32 resolutions that had been proposed and adopted those nine resolu tions. There were 49 resolutions on the paper ballot prepared by the General Resolutions Committee. Of these, only four were defeated. There was no ranking of the resolutions. As provided for in the Conference rules, the General Resolutions Committee became the Committee of the Conference and was given the authority to approve final wording of the resolutions and consolidation of redundant resolutions. After this consolidation, there were 64 resolutions which had been passed by the delegates-25 voting in the last general session and 39 by paper ballot (See Appendix VIII). Transcripts of the general voting sessions, together with the recorder's annotated draft of the resolutions adopted, were available to the Committee of the Conference. Final wording of the resolutions was established by the Committee of the Conference at a special meeting held in Chicago on January 5, 1980. Hearings While delegate meetings were taking place, open hearings were conducted to provide an additional mechanism for individuals and organizations to make their viewpoints known. Three open hearings were conducted by Members of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. Many organizations, interested groups, and individuals were invited to testify, and both written and oral testimony became an integral part of the final Conference Report. Thus, the hearings brought into the process views that might otherwise have been lost. In addition, the White House Conference included a Joint Senate and House Congressional Hearing held at the Conference. This Joint Congressional Hearing was co-chaired by Senator Claiborne Pell, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Education, Arts, and the Humanities of the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources, and Congressman William D. Ford, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Post Secondary Education of the House Committee on Education and Labor, the two subcommittees responsible for authorizing library and information legislation. It was intended, in Senator Pell's words, to "provide the two subcommittees with some initial recommendations that the Members could review in the very near future." Ten Conference delegates were invited to testify on issues that had been raised in each of the five theme areas. The following Members of Congress took part in the Hearing, which was held during the Congressional recess: Representative John Brademas (Indiana); Representative George E. Brown, Jr. (California); Representative John H. Buchanan, Jr. (Alabama); Resident Commissioner Baltasar Corrada (Puerto Rico); Representative William D. Ford (Michigan); Representative Albert Gore (Tennessee); Senator Jacob K. Javits (New York); Senator Claiborne Pell (Rhode Island); Senator Robert T. Stafford (Vermont); and Representative Ted S. Weiss (New York). An Overview of the Proceedings Thursday November 15 More than 1,800 persons registered for the Conference on opening day. The day's events included a tour of the White House, the opening of the Conference Information Center, and screenings of a variety of films dealing with both technical information processes and public awareness of library and information services. The films represented original productions by the library and information community and were voluntarily submitted by states for screening at the Conference. The Conference schedule included a special period for states, groups of states, coalitions, and foundations to meet in caucuses. The Conference was officially opened at an evening banquet by Charles Benton, Chairman of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science and Chairman of the White House Conference. The Honorable Abner J. Mikva, Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia, conducted the swearing in of the delegates. The participants were welcomed by Marilyn Killebrew Gell, Director of the Conference, and Marion Barry, Mayor of Washington, D.C. Special awards were presented by Martin M. Cummings, Director of the National Library of Medicine, to the following nine individuals in recognition of their contribution to the Conference. These individuals were: Channing L. Bete, Sr. (Posthumous), accepted by Channing L. U.S. Representative John Brademas (Indiana) Carl A. Elliott (Former U.S. Representative from Alabama) U.S. Senator Jacob K. Javits (New York) U.S. Senator Warren G. Magnuson (Washington) Head Table and the assembled delegates at the Opening Banquet Bessie Boehm Moore (Vice Chairman of NCLIS and Member of the Advisory Committee on the Conference) U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell (Rhode Island) U.S. Representative Carl D. Perkins (Kentucky) Special remarks were presented by Richard M. Neustadt, Assistant Director, Domestic Policy Staff, The White House; U.S. Representative William D. Ford, Michigan; and U.S. Senator Jacob K. Javits, New York. (The two latter representing Congress on the White House Conference Advisory Committee.) The first general session, devoted to the adoption of the rules, was convened after the banquet, at 10:30 p.m. Judge Mikva served as moderator for the assembly, which adopted the rules within one and one-half hours, and adjourned at 12:15 a.m. Friday-November 16 The second general session began at 9:30 a.m. with an address by President Jimmy Carter, his first address since the 51 hostages had been taken in Iran. Five speakers then presented commentary on the five theme areas of the Conference. The speakers were: Clara S. Jones, Member of NCLIS - Personal Needs Francis Keppel, Director, Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies and Member of NCLIS-Lifelong Learning Herbert D. Benington, Vice President, The MITRE Corpora- Major R. Owens, New York State Senator-Governing Society Luncheon featured a screening of a videotape, TeleFuture, produced by the Library of Congress. The moderator was Robert Lee Chartrand, Senior Specialist in Information Policy and Technology, Congressional |