MEASURES LISTED TO DETERMINE STAFFING

Mr. BENJAMIN. Specifically, what productivity measures do you use to determine staffing and resource productivity?

Mr. CURRAN. The Library is one of a number of Federal agencies that has cooperated in the past with the Office of Personnel Management and the Bureau of Labor Statistics in this matter, so we have some experience. I would call it test data really.

Beginning in the early seventies we tried to develop some program categories, output measures, product measures, as well as labor measures. There were a number of computations that we attempted to work out with them. There was a hiatus in that effort in the middle seventies. It was dropped frankly. Then it has been resurfaced again with the present administration.

The Office of Personnel Management and Bureau of Labor Statistics, that is the Office of Productivity and Technology, has asked us to cooperate with them again. The activities which we have identified for test and measurement are circulation, reference, shelving of books, acquisitions, periodical routing, cataloging, copyright registration, handicapped readers served, tape subscribers, catalog cards sold, book catalog subscribers, congressional inquiries by committees, Members, and constituents.

Outputs are computed. A value of 100 is established for a base year and subsequent year values plus or minus 100 are computed and compared. The result, of course, is an attempt to measure change over time.

As I said, in the early seventies we processed some test data. We tried to develop it and then it was dropped because it involved somewhat sophisticated computer applications.

More recently, OPM has pointed out that this measures efficiency only, that they are also concerned and we are, too, about measures of effectiveness and responsiveness.

Also, the issue of validity has been raised and it is a difficult part of measuring the overall usefulness of white collar productivity results. So we are going to see what happens.

The point is that we have reported to the Bureau of Labor Statistics last year in these output category measures as well as labor costs for fiscal years 1977 and 1978. As recently as January of this year they asked us to supply data for fiscal 1979 which we are in the process of gathering and we will be submitting.

Sometime later this year they are going to process that data, attempt to make some base measures and give us some productivity results.

Frankly, I don't know what is going to happen. As I say, in the past they struggled with this and then nothing happened. This administration has picked it up again and we are one of, I think, 65 percent of the Federal Government that now they are trying to measure. They have designated a person to work with us on it and we will see what happens.

MANAGEMENT USE OF PRODUCTIVITY MEASURES

Mr. BENJAMIN. What levels of management use productivity measures to control your workload, what levels of management use

productivity measures to plan your staff and resource needs, and tell us exactly how this process works.

[The information follows:]

The Library has not yet developed a proven system of productivity measurement. Workload statistics are used throughout the Library levels of management.

YEAREND SPENDING PATTERN

Mr. BENJAMIN. Another item of general interest here is your year-end spending pattern. For fiscal years 1978 and 1979, we have information that indicates you have averaged about 22 percent of your object class expenditures in the fourth quarter. That, of course, does not reflect a "use-it-or-lose-it" attitude. However, your "other services" item has run between 33 percent and 40 percent during the fourth quarter. Explain why this disproportionate amount is necessary to be spent in the fourth quarter.

Mr. CURRAN. It has normally been our experience, and I will answer this in a general way rather than a specific way, that with certain kinds of contract effort, it takes all year to complete it. After the money becomes available in October, you have to define specifications, you have to prepare papers to let the contract, etc. There is a somewhat lengthy process in any contract effort and it is more often than not the last three months of the year when it finally reaches a period of fruition where you are finally ready to make an award.

Some of these other services are in that category. I have been told to look on page 116-A. This is the report of obligations by quarter. The 22 percent you were referring to is shown there and other services is the object class 25 where we show 29 percent. Printing and reproduction, 19; other services, 40 percent.

Those other services tend to be, that is object class 25, contractual efforts of one kind or another, at least many of them are. In order to reach that you tend to bunch it up at the end, in effect. Mr. BENJAMIN. Let's look at item 25 for fiscal year 1979 as shown on page 116-A where it reflects 40 percent spent in the fourth quarter.

Did you during that course of fiscal year 1979 spend all that was allocated for object class 25?

Mr. CURRAN. Do you mean the $4,196,000 is what we obligated? Are you asking what was allotted?

Mr. BENJAMIN. Yes.

Mr. CURRAN. I don't know. I will find out.

Mr. BENJAMIN. Would you provide that information for that account as well as for fiscal year 1979? Let's do it in each one of the sections of the Library.

Mr. CURRAN. This is for one appropriation. You want it repeated for each appropriation for object class 25?

Mr. BENJAMIN. Yes.

Mr. CURRAN. Yes, sir.

[The information follows:]

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS—OBJECT CLASSIFICATION 25, OTHER SERVICES, FISCAL YEAR 1979

Mr. BENJAMIN. We will proceed with the detail of the various categories and departments contained in this overall appropriation.

MANDATORY INCREASES

First, we will consider the analysis of increases appearing on pages 9 thru 11, which result in an increase of $1,348,594 for mandatory items. Please explain these increases.

Mr. CURRAN. The major items there are for in-grade and reallocations. I think we discussed those.

The second item, annualization of pay raises, that is a traditional item because of the slight difference. The 1980 pay raises included funds that have been requested in the fiscal 1980 supplemental to cover the increases from the effective date forward through September, 1980, so that you have $186,000. That is the different amount that has to be annualized that will not be included in the 1980 supplemental.

The accident compensation item, $64,600 is a net figure. The cost is $155,000. Available in the base from the previous year is $90,000. So the net increase is $64,000.

As I think we mentioned last year, this is an item which continues to increase. I believe there is considerable conversation in the press and elsewhere about the 1974 program authorizations and law which have caused this program to skyrocket since 1974. I believe some congressional review is under way now on that.

Mr. BENJAMIN. Have you compared this figure with the accident compensation incurred by other Federal agencies?

Dr. CURRAN. I have not. I don't know what we have done about it. Do you mean a baseline, how high or low are we within the norm for our population?

Mr. BENJAMIN. Right.

Mr. CURRAN. That is a good point. We can do it.

We have made a comparison with other government agencies on occupational injury rates. We have found that the Library of Congress costs for employee accident compensation in fiscal yar 1979 was 86 percent less than the government-wide average costs per employee. Actual Library costs in fiscal year 1979 per employee for accident compensation was $29 compared to the government-wide per employee costs of $210. So we are pleased to report that we are well below the average.

Mr. CURRAN. The next item, $408,000, is annualization of salary costs for 106 positions. This is the portion year funding of positions that were allowed in 1980 but were only allowed for a portion of 1980. This is the different figure to fund them for 12 months. As we pointed out last year, when we ask for an extra day, we take away a day so we are subtracting $293,000 in 1981 because it is one day less than 1980. That is it.

PURCHASE OF BOOKS

Mr. BENJAMIN. Now we will consider the request for $4,753,760 for the purchase of books which is an increase of $380,515 over the 1980 appropriation. Please justify the increase requested as follows: a. Books for the General Collections, the request totals $4,321,420, an increase of $327,420 over 1980.

b. Books for the Law Library, the request totals $432,340, an increase of $53,095.

Mr. HOWARD. Sir, that is an inflationary increase of 14 percent. Mr. BENJAMIN. That is assuming what level of purchase?

Mr. HOWARD. At the current level.

Mr. BENJAMIN. What is the current level for general collections and the Law Library? I am not talking about the dollar amount, but the number of pieces.

Mr. MCGOWAN. The total number of pieces received were 10 million in 1979.

Mr. BENJAMIN. By purchase?

Mr. MCGOWAN. No, that was the total number.

Mr. BENJAMIN. What is your purchase under these accounts? Mr. WELSH. May we add that for the record, Mr. Chairman? Mr. BENJAMIN. Sure.

[The information follows:]

In 1979, 733,797 pieces were purchased under the GENPAC appropriation and 65,988 under the Law appropriation. These included 140,510 books under GENPAC and 5,672 under Law.

Mr. BENJAMIN. Please submit for the record the answers to the following questions.

[The questions follow:]

NUMBER OF BOOKS ADDED TO COLLECTIONS

Question. How many books will be purchased by the Library? How many will be added to the collection from other sources such as copyright?

Response. During fiscal year 1980 it is anticipated that more than 140,000 books will be purchased by the Library from appropriated book funds. We will add to the collections from other sources 30,000 volumes through the Cataloging-in-Publication program, 20,000 through gift and trust funds, 65,000 through copyright, 14,000 through the Public Law 480 program, and 51,000 through exchanges and gifts.

ITEMS IN THE COLLECTIONS AND ADDED IN FISCAL YEAR 1979

Question. For fiscal year 1979 provide a tabulation showing the total number of books and other items in your collection, and the number added during the fiscal year.

1/

927,348

1,211

107

928,452

74,387,574

1,418,538

121,057

75,685,055

Reflects discards of multiple copies of once-popular works, superseded titles, and unwanted serial runs.

2/Excludes books deposited in regional libraries for the blind and physically handicapped 3/6,160 photographs from Lawrence Spivak Papers; 2,980 photographs from Paul Wayland Barlett papers,

4/Withdrawn for exchange.