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Library buildings and grounds, structural and mechanical care

1953 appropriation in annual act

Deductions:

Acoustical tile ceilings, both buildings.

Air filters for NE bookstack, main building_

Installation of floor tile, Pages School, main building....
Installation of tile flooring for cafeteria_ _ _ _

Replace storage batteries operating fire alarm and watch
systems, annex.

Fire extinguishers_

Base for 1954 _ _ .

Increases:

Within-grade salary advancements.

Two new grade CPC-6 positions-1 carpenter; 1 metal
worker.

General annual repairs increased from $11,850 to $13,400
to meet increased maintenance costs.
Maintenance and repairs, air conditioning and refrigera-
tion systems, increased from $4,000 to $4,500 to meet
increased maintenance costs..

Equipping part of bookstacks with mapcases, annex,
increased from $20,000 to $30,000--

Finishing one deck for bookshelving and equipping one
deck, annex_

Automatic sprinkler system, cellar, main building-
Installation of two new passenger elevators, east wing,

annex

Replacement, repairs, and alterations to refrigeration
equipment, main and annex buildings..

Total estimate for 1954_.

INCREASES REQUESTED

$335,000

$8, 100

3,000

3, 000

1, 200

1, 100
750

- 17, 150

317, 850

$300

6, 400

1, 550

500

10, 000

197, 300
25,000

95, 000

60, 000

+396, 050 713, 900

Mr. HENLOCK. Briefly stated, the first item of increase on the blue sheet is $300 for salary stepups under the Classification Act.

Two new positions have been asked, 1 carpenter and 1 metal worker, at $3,200 each. The need for these positions is explained on page 119 of the justifications.

Then we have asked that the amount for general annual repairs be increased from $11,850 to $13,400 to meet increased maintenance costs.

We request a $500 increase under the air conditioning and refrigeration maintenance allotment, which would increase that item from $4,000 to $4,500.

For the past several years you have been allowing us $20,000 for equipping part of the bookstacks in the annex with map cases, and the Librarian has asked that this amount be increased to $30,000 for next year. Mr. Clapp and Mr. Wagman can explain the item further.

You are familiar with the item of $197,300 to finish 1 deck for book shelving and equip 1 deck in the annex. That has been submitted several times in the past, in whole or in part. Dr. Wagman has some pictures showing the conditions in these decks.

We renew the request for $25,000 to put an automatic sprinkler system in the cellar of the main building. This has been recommended by the Fire Marshal of the District of Columbia. The

Librarian calls attention to the fact that in the past year there have been two fires in other libraries that caused serious damage.

$95,000 is requested to put in two new passenger elevators in the east wing of the annex. When the annex was designed, shafts were provided for 4 passenger elevators in the east wing and 4 in the west wing. At the present time there are 4 elevators installed in the west wing but only 2 elevators installed in the east wing, and the present population, both employees and visitors, in the east section of the building indicates that there is now need for installation of elevators in the two empty shafts in the east wing.

Sixty thousand dollars is requested for replacement, repairs, and alterations to refrigeration equipment, main and annex buildings. I think this item can be understood very quickly from page 128 of the justifications, which shows in summary form what this amount Twelve thousand dollars is for new refrigeration equipment for the drinking water system in the main building. Twenty thousand four hundred dollars is for new refrigeration equipment for the rare books division, where exacting temperature requirements have to be maintained. The existing equipment in the rare books division cannot be satisfactorily reconditioned to meet such exacting requirements, but could be reconditioned at an estimated cost of $12,600 and used in other areas. Fifteen thousand dollars is requested for the installation of a new drinking water system in the annex building, to replace the existing system, which is inadequate and is not large enough to supply the present needs.

Mr. Chairman, if there are questions as to the needs of the Librarian, these gentlemen are here to answer those questions.

NEW PASSENGER ELEVATORS

Mr. Bow. I would like some more information on the proposed installation of two new passenger elevators.

Mr. HENLOCK. On page 124 we state that at the present time there are only 2 elevators in operation on the east side of the building, and the proposed installation, together with those elevators already in place, would provide 4 passenger elevators on this side of the building, the same number now in operation on the west side of the building. The increase in population, both of employees and visitors, necessitates the installation of the two additional elevators.

Mr. Bow. Have we any record of that increase?

Mr. HENLOCK. Yes; our elevator engineer, Mr. Sommer, can come in and give you that information.

Mr. HORAN. How many elevators do you have?

Mr. HENLOCK. A total of 83 in all our buildings. In the 2 Library buildings there are 26 elevators, 6 dumbwaiters, and 3 lifts.

Mr. CLAPP. In brief, the elevator traffic has increased from 2 to 7 million since the construction of the annex.

Mr. Bow. How much has it increased in the east wing?

Mr. SOMMER. In the east wing it has increased from 2,335 to 5,450 passengers per day, or from 700,500 to 1,635,300 per year.

Mr. LYNN. What years?

Mr. SOMMER. From 1950 to 1953.

Mr. Bow. What is the capacity of the elevators?

Mr. SOMMER. Three thousand pounds.

Mr. Bow. How many passengers does that average?

Mr. SOMMER. Twenty-three passengers, but you cannot load twenty-three in one elevator without overcrowding.

Mr. CLAPP. Perhaps I can throw a little light on the question and the response to it. The Library can hardly be divided into wings. It is the east side rather than the east wing. There are now 2 elevators on the east side and 4 on the west side. When people cannot get an elevator on the east side, they come over to the west side, so you cannot judge the need for additional elevators on the east side merely by statistics on the east side. You have to take the combination of the 6 elevators. I think your statistics show the total elevator traffic went up from 2 million per year to 7 million?

Mr. SOMMER. It went up in the entire annex from 4,920,000 in 1950 to 6,899,700 in 1953.

Mr. CLAPP. And at the same time the congestion in the elevators is indicated by statistics of stops. Those statistics show that the elevators are doing nothing but stopping, taking on a big load, discharging them, and coming back and taking another big load.

Mr. SOMMER. In 1950 we had about 7 million stops, and these were brought down to 4 million in 1953. In 1950 the elevators traveled 34,000 miles per year, compared to 25,000 miles per year in 1953. That shows the elevators are not traveling as far and are taking more time for loading.

Mr. CLAPP. We are conscious of elevator congestion, but our consciousness as occupants of the building is not interpreted in figures. The elevator engineer has the exact figures taken by censuses from time to time.

Mr. SOMMER. This is a chart of the elevators in all our buildings. Here is the total increase from 1940 to 1953. There has been a 90percent increase in traffic in those years. We handle 29 million people a year in the elevators on Capitol Hill.

Mr. LYNN. How many in the Capitol?

Mr. SOMMER. Five million six hundred and sixty-five thousand eight hundred.

Mr. BUSBEY. How do you arrive at those figures?

Mr. SOMMER. We take traffic counts.

Mr. BUSBEY. For 1 day?

Mr. SOMMER. Yes. Then we count automatically during the whole year the stops and mileage, and figure if that was an average day. It is fairly accurate within a few percent. We can also tell from the power consumption, but the watt-hour meters are getting old, and we have to wait until the new meters are installed under the power conversion program for more accurate measurement.

Mr. BUSBEY. I think the fact you cannot handle the traffic load is indication enough you need new elevators. All these statistics and figures take a lot of time of people to compile. I happen to be an engineer myself, and appreciate the value of statistics, but I think we have too many people in all departments of Government working on statistics to determine a need that can be determined from common sense.

Mr. CLAPP. Except that by taking counts we can sometimes. make better use of equipment and divert traffic. I think the engineer

has had some such idea in mind, but I think he has given up the possibility of that.

ADDITIONAL DECKS

Mr. HORAN. The biggest item is $197,300 for finishing 1 deck for bookshelving and equipping 1 deck. This is not a new item to this committee. What is the situation now?

Mr. CLAPP. When the annex was completed in 1939, only 8 of the 12 stack levels were completed. The remaining four were left for the future. You have made it possible for us to finish one-half of one additional deck, so we have 8%1⁄2 finished decks and 321⁄2 unfinished or unequipped decks. This is not in itself a limitation on our activities except that it does not give us the space we need. I have some pictures to show what I mean. We ought to leave our shelves half empty so as to be able to add to the shelves without moving the books. Any move might involve a million volumes. We have to put up double rows of books. Here is an example where we have had to pile up material, where we had no shelves at all. Here is another example of the double shelving. It takes considerable work to arrange the double shelving on the shelves.

We actually need, sir, this additional finished deck space in order to prevent inefficiencies of operation, such as pulling a whole set of books out to get one book in the back, and shifting them again to replace the book. This is the simple story, sir.

I might mention, since you asked me about this item which is the largest, that this is really a very urgent item, but there are two other items here which are also of great urgency. One is the automatic

sprinkler system in the cellar.

Mr. HORAN. That is the next item. Any additional questions?

JEREMIAH BLACK

Mr. KIRWAN. I know you do not know now, but when you go back to the Library, I wish you would find out if they have fixed the back and cover on the essays and speeches of Jeremiah Black. Jeremiah Black was recognized as one of the best Americans of the 19th century. He was a member of President Buchanan's Cabinet. At one time he was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. When I got the book out of the Library, we had to tie the pages together. Here was a great book, and it was given no attention. At one time you had a lot of those books, but now you only have one of Jeremiah Black, and it is falling apart. It is one of the best books in the Library outside of the Bible.

Mr. CLAPP. We will report to you tomorrow.
Mr. KIRWAN. All right.

FURNITURE AND FURNISHINGS

Mr. HENLOCK. The next item appears on page 74 of the committee print and page 130 of the justifications; I ask that page 130 be inserted in the record.

(The matter referred to is as follows:)

Library Buildings and Grounds, furniture and furnishings, Architect of the Capitol

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Mr. HENLOCK. "Furniture and furnishings" is the second appropriation item for the Library Buildings and Grounds that comes under the Architect of the Capitol.

You appropriated $50,000 last year for this item. One nonrecurring item has been deducted, which brings the base for 1954 down to $47,500. The Librarian asked that we submit a request for increases totaling $82,500, of which $10,000 is for furniture for proposed new employees, and $72,500 is for special nonrecurring furniture. These items are detailed in pages 131 to 139.

There is an item of $7,500 for annual repairs, office machines, and equipment. We ask for no change in that item.

$20,000 is requested for annual miscellaneous furniture and equipment, which is the same amount as allowed for fiscal year 1953.

$10,000 is requested to continue the program of typewriter replacement. It is estimated that at current prices, and taking into consideration special keyboard requirements, the $10,000 requested will permit. the purchase of from 50 to 60 new typewriters as replacements of machines which have depreciated beyond economical repair.

We ask $10,000 for movable partitions, fifth year allotment. That is the amount you have been allotting us to install partitions in large rooms so as to provide additional office rooms.

$10,000 is requested for furniture and equipment for proposed new employees under the estimates of the Librarian of Congress.

The items comprising the balance of $72,500 for nonrecurring furniture and equipment are detailed on the succeeding 6 pages. Would you rather Mr. Clapp discuss these items?

Mr. CLAPP. I do not want to take the committee's time in justifying this miscellany of small items. Every item, we believe, is justified, either as replacement or to equip our clerks and other workers with mechanical devices to make their work more efficient.

The electric typewriters are to prepare copy for reproduction. They save time and produce a better product, and the cost is lower in the end.

DICTATING MACHINES

Mr. Bow. Why do you need the dictating machines you are requesting funds to buy?

Mr. CLAPP. We hope through the use of these dictating machines to increase the amount of work by the clerical staff, permitting the work to be done in less time and at less expense.

Mr. Bow. Do you have any dictating machines now?

Mr. CLAPP. Yes. I suppose we must have as many as 10 or 15. Mr. WAGMAN. A good example of the use of dictating equipment is in the Order Division. This is the Division that purchases books and handles vouchers, and so forth. We had a situation where 7

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