Mr. ROSSITER. Actually we have had a computer, if you want to call it one, since back in 1940, for payroll work. We have improved it over the years as the newer equipment came out. It was called EAM in those days, electric accounting machines; now it is automatic data processing. We have been in this business for 27 years in our fiscal operations. Mr. ANDREWS. Do you think the machine saves manpower? Mr. ANDREWS. I won't ask you if you reduced your manpower since you got the machine. Dr. MUMFORD. I do not think we have. But as the volume of work has increased over the years we would have been forced to request additional manpower if we did not have the machines to aid the work. Mr. ANDREWS. You won't get any additional equipment; you will just beef up, so to speak, the equipment if you get the $150,000 additional request. Dr. MUMFORD. Yes, sir. TOTAL NEW POSITIONS REQUESTED Mr. ANDREWS. That brings the next question. The next item is for an increase of $630,522 for 98 new positions. 45 NEW POSITIONS TO ELIMINATE ARREARAGES AND MAINTAIN Dr. MUMFORD. This is for an entirely different purpose, Mr. Chairman. Beginning with the Processing Department, I referred yesterday to the Serial Record Division that we have. It records periodicals. journals, and serials in all form. It provides a central control, which is indispensable to being able to know whether we have a particular serial and information about its location. As more and more materials are published, this file grows larger. We have developed large arrearages in material awaiting to be checked into the file and new titles waiting to be cataloged. The file has not been edited, that is. checked and brought up to date. It is badly in need of editing. We have not been able to claim issues that we are not receiving. We have no manpower to do it. There are many gaps in the collections which should be filled. I would ask, if I may, that several pages relating to this, since it is a large group of positions, be placed in the record. Mr. ANDREWS. They are already in the record. Dr. MUMFORD. I was thinking of pages 24 to 31, which give a more elaborate explanation of each one of these operations, of checking the serials in when we already have titles, cataloging new titles, editing the record, and claiming issues from publishers which have not been received, or trying to obtain missing issues to fill gaps. This is one of the most important records in the Library. It is the most complete record of serials in the Nation. It serves not only the Library of Congress but other libraries in providing information about serials. (The pages follow:) A. Serial Record Division.-Because of the fast-changing nature of many fields of knowledge today and the reliance of most of the physical and social sciences on current periodical literature. the Library's Serial Record is of critical importance. The Serial Record Division maintains this file of data on over 600,000 separate serial publications-the largest operation of its kind in the world-and serves as a clearinghouse for information on serial literature for the entire nation. To maintain currency in the recording of serials 2 GS-6 senior accessioners, at $5,867_. 4 GS-5 accessioners, at $5, 331.... 2 GS-4 Serial sorters, at $4,776. Total______ Personnel benefits-- 8 positions- $11, 734 21, 324 9, 552 42, 610 3, 312 45, 922 Every hour, about one thousand separate pieces of material are received in this Division to be recorded in the Serial Record. Unfortunately, the staff available to record incoming serials has in recent years been insufficient to handle the steadily rising number of serials received. The result of this situation has been a large and growing arrearage of material to be processed, an arrearage which affects not only the efficiency of acquisitions, cataloging, and related operations in the Processing Department, but also seriously undermines the level of service provided by the Reference Department, the Law Library, and the Legislative Reference Service. In August of 1966, the arrearage amounted to almost a quarter of a million pieces. Overtime work and a part-time night shift of temporary employees have now reduced the arrearage to less than 150,000 pieces, but these measures do not provide any real or lasting solution to the problem. The rate of acquisition still substantially exceeds the capacity of the regular staff to handle it, so that without the use of overtime or other emergency measures the arrearage will continue to grow unless additional personnel are hired to handle the increased intake. During fiscal 1967, an estimated 2,050,000 pieces of serial material will be received for processing. A good accessioner-that is, an employee who records information in the Serial Record-can process about 70,000 pieces per year. This means that we have a current need for 29 accessioners merely to process the current material being recieved. There are presently only 23 accessioners; an additional 6 accessioners (2 at grade GS-6 and 4 at grade GS-5) are requested. Two GS-4 serial sorters are also needed to handle the preliminary sorting of these additional materials. Without adequate staff it has also been impossible to edit the Serial Record Properly. Consequently, it does not accurately reflect the Library's holdings. This affects the level of service provided as seriously as the arrearage in accesLoning. Out-of-date entries must be updated, changes in title must be recorded, erroneous information must be corrected, and adequate cross references must be made. The anticipated future automation of this record will be impossible before this editing task has been completed. To begin this process during fiscal 1968, De GS-9 senior serial cataloger, 3 GS-7 serial catalogers, and one GS-5 editorial assistant are requested. These positions will enable us to edit and revise an estimated 25.000 records, as well as to ascertain the magnitude of effort necessary to complete the task. To eliminate the arrearage of new serials awaiting cataloging 5 GS-9 senior serial catalogers, at $7,696. Personnel benefits-- 5 positions__ $38, 480 2,879 41, 359 Related to the problem of editing the Serial Record is the problem of arrearages in new serials awaiting cataloging. Statistics for the number of titles cataloged during the last five years and the growth of the cataloging arrearage are as follows: At the end of 1966, over 16,000 titles (representing about 65,000 pieces) were awaiting to be cataloged; because of the lack of staff this arrearage is increasing at a rate of over 4,000 titles per year. By the beginning of 1968, there will be over 20,000 titles in this arrearage. An additional 5 senior serial catalogers are needed to eliminate this arrearage and maintain currency. When this task is completed. these catalogers will be used to accelerate the editing of the Serial Record. To initiate claiming of missing serial issues 3 GS-5 serial claiming assistants, at $5,331. Personnel benefits___. $15,993 1.243 3 positions__‒‒‒ 17,236 In order for the Library to have complete holdings of important serial publications, it is essential to claim issues never received from the source of acquisition. and to order replacements for missing issues. Because of insufficient manpower, it has not been possible for the Serial Record Division to do this properly. A a result, the services rendered by the Library are seriously impaired by gaps in its serial holdings. The number of issues which should be claimed from the vendor or source of acquisitions or otherwise replaced has been estimated at 450.000, but in the absence of a claiming program the exact amount is unknown. To begin a claiming program during fiscal 1968, three GS-5 claiming assistants are requested. At an estimated rate of 25,000 claims per year per assistant, this would enable us to process around 75,000 claims for missing issues. B. Catalog Maintenance and Catalog Publication Division.-The maintenance of the Library's general card catalogs is the responsibility of the Catalog Maintenance and Catalog Publication Division. During fiscal 1966, the Division prepared and distributed almost three million cards to the Library's catalogs and special files, an increase of 15 percent over the previous year. To maintain currency in preparing cards and filing them in the Library's card catalogs As indicated by the table, it is anticipated that in the two years between the end of fiscal 1966 and the end of fiscal 1968-that is. during fiscal 1967 and 1968-the rapid increase in cataloging and printed catalog card output (caused in large part by expanded activities under the Higher Education Act of 1965) will result in a fifty percent increase in the number of cards received for prep aration and filing in the general card catalogs. An increase of fifty percent in the staff of the sections performing this work will therefore be needed. The Card Preparation Section now has 16 staff members and an additional 8 positions five GS-3 arrangers and three GS-5 card preparation assistants) are requested; the Filing Section now has 32 employees, and 16 more (fifteen GS-6 catalog filers and one supervisor) are requested. TOTAL NUMBER OF POSITIONS Mr. ANDREWS. What is the total number of positions currently authorized? Dr. MUMFORD. For this particular operation? Mr. ANDREWS. Let me ask the question again. What is the total number of positions currently authorized? Mr. ROSSITER. 2,644. Mr. ANDREWS. How many new jobs are you requesting overall? Mr. ANDREWS. You are requesting 332 new positions overall. Mr. ANDREWS. If granted, you would have total authorized positions of 2.976? Mr. ROSSITER. That is right. Dr. MUMFORD. That includes 172 native personnel that are employed abroad and paid in foreign currencies. Mr. ANDREWS. How many vacancies do you have as of some recent reporting date? Mr. LORENZ. Fifty-three in the Library of Congress general appropriation. Mr. ANDREWS. Are any of the new positions requested currently funded from other sources? Dr. MUMFORD. No, sir. Mr. ANDREWS. Are any of these new positions related to the estabshment of new programs? Dr. MUMFORD. We mentioned two positions in connection with automation. That is not a new program. That is simply increasing the presrt program. I do not think a single one relates to the establishment If a new program. Mr. ANDREWS. Where would these new people be housed? Dr. MUMFORD. They would be in various places in the present two ildings. For instance, these people we are asking for to work on erial record would be working at this huge file in the serial record vision, standing up most of the time, checking in serials. The card s we are asking for would be filing into the public catalog, the ial catalogs, and the various other catalogs of the Library. It does t mean that each would have to have a desk or a location. Mr. ANDREWS. You would use them wherever needed? Dr. MUMFORD. That is right. URTEEN NEW POSITIONS FOR EVENING OPENING AND SATURDAY SERVICE Mr. ANDREWS. Is it planned to extend the evening and Saturday rvice in the reading rooms? Dr. MUMFORD. Yes, sir. Mr. ANDREWS. How much of the increase is devoted to this purpose? Dr. MUMFORD. Fourteen positions were requested for that purpose, Mr. Chairman, at $92,908. Mr. ANDREWS. Why extend the service? Could you readjust the bors so it would be open evenings and Saturdays rather than 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 5 days a week; open, say noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday? Dr. MUMFORD. We have examined the possibility very closely and we have a minimum number of staff on during the hours that we are now open. It would not be possible to spread the staff over longer hours. It would not be adequate for coverage. Mr. ANDREWS. Do you anticipate an extensive use of the reading rooms on Saturdays if open? Dr. MUMFORD. We think almost surely there will be from the requests we have had and the complaints that they were not open during those hours. As I indicated, we will keep a record of it and report to the committee. When we extended the hours of the Main Reading Room and the Thomas Jefferson Room in the Annex a few years ago there was a considerable overall increase in the use of the Library, including the extra evening hours. Mr. ANDREWS. Dr. Mumford, suppose you take up each group of new positions set out in the justifications and tell us what you have in mind, the need, et cetera. Dr. MUMFORD. First of all, we are requesting eight positions to maintain currency in recording of serials. I referred to that earlier. That is on page 24 of the white sheets that I have asked to go into the record. Mr. ANDREWS. Are we talking about the new positions requested which total 98? Dr. MUMFORD. Yes, sir. Mr. ANDREWS. You are giving us a breakdown of the new positions required? Dr. MUMFORD. Yes, sir. Then on page 26 we are asking for five positions to begin editing the serial record which I have described. On page 27 we are asking for five positions to eliminate the arrearage of new serials awaiting cataloging. On page 28, three positions to initiate claiming of missing serial issues. That makes the total of 21 for the serial record. We are asking for 24 positions to maintain currency in preparing cards and filing them in the Library's card catalogs. Mr. ANDREWS. That is all, is it not? Dr. MUMFORD. That makes a total of 45. On page 30 of the white sheets there is a table which shows a big increase in the cards that are prepared and filed in the Library's principal catalogs. Mr. ANDREWS. Without objection, we will insert that table in the record. (The page follows:) The increase in workload in preparing and filing cards into the four main catalogs during the last five years is shown in the following table: |