be implemented. On the last day of the fiscal year, the Senate unanimously ratified the Nairobi Protocol as a treaty.

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT STANDARDS FOR
FEDERAL LIBRARIANS

Proposed revised standards for federal librarians in the Bibliographic Information Analysis Series (GS-1409), Library-Information Service Management Series (GS-1410), and Library-Information Service Assistance Series (GS-1411) were issued in December 1981 by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Most of the comments on these series made during the open period by professional associations in the library/information community, including the Federal Library Committee, were highly critical of the tentative standards and called for an extension of the review and comment period. Further revision of the tentative standards produced further critical comments and the recommendation that the proposed standards be withdrawn and new standards drafted with the assistance of an advisory group representing concerned associations and organizations. In view of the widespread opposition, NCLIS, adhering to its mandate to advise the Executive and Legislative Branches on policy matters in the library/information field, recommend to OPM that the proposed standards be withdrawn and new standards be written with the assistance of an advisory group. NCLIS stated its willingness to be part of an advisory group and, in its role as "honest broker," to assist OPM in assembling and convening an advisory group that would help develop revised standards responsive to the concerns of the library/information community.

LITERACY

NCLIS continued its efforts toward the eradication of illiteracy through its work on the Executive Committee of the Coalition for Literacy, which is composed of librarians, educators, volunteer groups, publishers, advertisers and other corporate representatives. Planning continued for a three-year nationwide media awareness compaign on illiteracy sponsored by the Coalition and the Advertising Council. The Commission also continued to assist Mrs. George Bush with her library visits, where she helps encourage volunteers to participate in literacy programs in libraries. For her interest, encouragement and promotion of the use of volunteers in library literacy programs, Mrs. Bush received the Friends of Libraries USA award at the American Library Association's 1982 annual conference in Philadelphia.

VIII. Future Directions and Plans

WORK WITH THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE
BRANCHES

Tith its strengthened staff and improved contacts with the library

Wand information community, especially in the international area,

the Commission plans to take an even more active future role in working with the Legislative and Executive Branches under its mandate to advise the President and the Congress on policy matters in the library and information field. One major activity will be to continue working with the House Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education and the Senate Subcommittee on Education, Arts and Humanities, assisting them with developing specifications for library legislation in the information field, especially the Library Services and Construction Act. In the near future the Commission plans to assist these subcommittees with hearings on changes to LSCA. In addition, the Commission will work with appropriate groups in both the Legislative and Executive Branches on major program areas: with the Office of Technology Assessment on its proposed study on technology and libraries; with the Administration on Aging and appropriate private sector groups for the Commission's program on library and information services to senior citizens; and with the Government Printing Office, the Office of Management and Budget, other agencies and the private sector in examining the implications of the principles and recommendations in the Public/Private Sector Task Force Report. NCLIS will also continue its day-to-day assistance on library and information topics to Members of Congress and their staffs and to officials in Executive Branch agencies. Through its role as Secretariat for the U.S. National Committee for UNESCO/PGI and through expanded contacts with international experts in library and information associations, NCLIS will increase its expertise in the

international area and its ability to provide advice on international library and information issues.

TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION AND PRODUCTIVITY

One of the Commission's major concerns during the next two fiscal years will be the impact of technology on libraries, information services, and all facets of society. The accelerating growth of information technology can be expected to have a crucial impact, not only on libraries and information centers but on our entire society. The changes engendered by this growth are not remote; they are already very much upon us. The increase in the capability of new technologies (such as computers, telecommunications, videodiscs, teletext and videotext, and direct broadcast satellites), combined with their plunging costs, will continue to drastically change the way information is transferred and shared in our society. With its vast information resources, our nation has the capacity to provide needed information to its citizens and to enable our work force to become fully productive. The potential exists, but to make it a reality we must determine how to integrate and adapt the new technologies to achieve national goals.

Automated information retrieval is the key technology that will help increase productivity in all areas in the U.S. Increased sharing of resources and the application of the appropriate technologies will help libraries to survive serious curtailments of their budgets and enable them to improve the delivery of services to users. The provision of services to rurally remote and homebound citizens can be improved significantly through the application of appropriate technologies. However, before recommendations can be made for policies and plans in the application of technology, additional information is needed.

One of the Commission's principal objectives for FY 1983 is to examine both the anticipated information environment of 1985 and the impact of technology on selected segments of the population. Working with outstanding young professionals from IBM's T.J. Watson Research Center, the Commission will examine existing literature, databases, and the findings of major studies pertinent to assessing the probable realities and demands of the 1985 information environment. The impact of this new environment on two groups-the elderly and rural Americans-will be carefully examined. The Commission will draw upon the work of its four task forces and its 18-month study of federal library resources, all completed during 1982, as input for the study. In addition, the study will identify those qualities that make technology more useful and acceptable to users of library/information products and services.