AUTOMATION PROGRAM First, the automation program. It is the conviction of the American Library Association that the efforts of libraries throughout this country to apply com puter technology to their operations will, to a large extent, be dependent upon the Library of Congress' success in this field. The pilot project to provide machine-readable cataloging data to libraries on an experimental basis has been met with a great deal of enthusiasm by the participating libraries. The second phase of this program-MARC II-holds even greater promise. The format prepared and developed by the Library's automation experts was a cepted as a proposed national standard by two ALA divisions during its 1968 midwinter conference. The extension of the MAR II program, with the dietribution of more and more cataloging information on magnetic tape, and the appropriation of funds requested by the Library for its overall automation program are imperative if libraries are to keep pace with the information explosion. SPECIAL FOREIGN CURRENCY BOOK PROCUREMENT The Public Law 480 book procurement program, which utilizes United States-owned foreign currencies, can be described as a model for the cooperative acquisition of books and other materials from foreign lands. Since Congress first approved funding for this program in 1961, over 8 million items important to researcch have been acquired for libraries in all 50 States of the Union. The ALA urges strongly that your subcommittee approve the requests for this program, CATALOG CARD SALES The Library's catalog card distribution program is essential to the library economy of this Nation. Funds requested for this operation are returned in full to the U.S. Treasury and the Association strongly commends the request before you in order that the speed and efficiency of the program will not be impaired by the ever-increasing workload resulting from orders by American libraries for catalog cards. BOOKS FOR BLIND AND PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED Certainly no librarian in this country can forget library service to the blind and physically handicapped. The Congress has been generous in its support of the national books for the blind and physically handicapped program and the Association urges you to continue this support. MADISON MEMORIAL LIBRARY BUILDING The American Library Association has gone on record as strongly supporting the Library of Congress' need for a third building and the appropriation of funds to insure this end. At its Midwinter meeting in January, the Association adopti the following resolution: Be it resolved, That the American Library Association, a professional organization with a membership of more than 37,000, hereby urges the Congress of the United States to take immediate action to make appropriations to further the construction of the Library of Congress James Madison Memorial Building in the interest of economy and efficiency, because, due to escalation in prices, any delay only adds to the cost of the building, which is generally recognized as essential. Funds now necessarily being expended for rental space could be saved" and services vital to the library world, the research community and the public would not be endangered because of lack of appropriate space; THEREFORE !!American Library Association calls upon the Congress to act swiftly in the national interest on behalf of the Library of Congress, which serves as the national library of the United States and whose services are central and essentia to the welfare of the Nation's libraries and all the people they serve. We cannot stress too strongly the necessity for this building if the Library »d Congress is to be truly a library for the Nation, if it is to serve libraries 2 communities throughout the land. As the situation now stands, overcrowd.zg and dispersement of activities are hampering the Library's services and efficien Escalation in construction costs coupled with the bill for rental space are stark reminders that economy will not be served by delay in appropriating the moD-F DEPOSITORY LIBRARY PROGRAM Finally, to continue the operation and development of the Nation's depository library program, the Association recommends that the subcommittee provide the $1.879 million recommended in the 1969 Federal budget to enable the Superintendent of Documents to further the implementation of this essential program, authorized by the Depository Library Act of 1962. Federal funds allocated to this program of making Government-produced facts available to all who need them are an investment in an important share of the Government's output of information resources. One of the main objectives of depository libraries is to assist the taxpayer in his search for current and reliable data. The benefits derived from this activity accrue, in turn, to business, industry, science, research, and ultimately to the United States as a whole. By developing and increasing the number of designated depository libraries, Congress will be strengthening the country's information network. In addition to GPO publications, other prime sources of objective information, which contribute to the depository library knowledge bank, are the so-called non-GPO documents. These are publications printed by Federal departments and agencies outside the Government Printing Office. They are the results, in many cases, of Government research and study, and contain data of great value for the users of libraries. These documents should be distributed as part of the depository library system. In view of the preceding facts concerning the great value of these programs and services to the Nation, it is urged that the subcommittee approve the budget requests of the Library of Congress, allow the budget item for the continuance of work on the James Madison Memorial Library of Congress building, and authorize adequate funds for the implementation of the Depository Library Act of 1962. ADDITIONAL HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING PROJECT FURTHER PROPOSED REMODELING ITEMS, FISCAL YEAR 1969 (CLERK'S NOTE.-The following proposals for consideration in connection with the budget for 1969 were submitted after the close of the formal hearings:) Hon. GEORGE W. ANDREWS, Chairman, Legislative Subcommittee, ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL, MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: When I appeared before your committee on March 28, 1968, I presented a justification of a budget estimate of $6,975,000, submitted through the Bureau of the Budget at the direction of the House Office Building Commission, for remodeling the Longworth House Office Building and other work necessary in connection therewith, detailed on pages 256 and 257 of he House hearings. When I appeared before your committee on April 2, 1968, I presented to your ommittee items of work, estimated to cost $700,000, necessary to be done in the iscal year 1969 in the three House Office Buildings and the Congressional Hotel n the event the Longworth remodeling program is deferred, detailed on page 298 of the House hearings. FIREARMS PRACTICE RANGE FOR THE CAPITOL POLICE, RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING One of the items included in the estimate of $700,000 was $113,500 for installaion of a firearms practice range for the Capitol Police in the lowest garage level f the Rayburn Building, which would cause the loss of only about eight parking paces. This item was not included in the remodeling estimate of $6,975,000. At he hearings, you will recall, we stated that this item had not been heard by the Couse Office Building Commission, but that we understood the Commission viewed sympathetically. At a meeting of the House Office Building Commission, yesterday, the Comission unanimously endorsed the proposal for installing a firearms practice range in the proposed location in the Rayburn Building, and requested the Architect of the Capitol to advise your committee that the Commission considers this an urgently needed item and to request your committee to give favorable corsideration to the inclusion of the funds requested for this item in the legislative branch appropriation bill for 1969. The Chief of the Capitol Police also makes an urgent plea for this item, and I fully concur in the urgency of need. Prior to approving this item, the same was discussed with the select committee in charge of the House garages, appointed under authority of House Resolution 514, 90th Congress, and the three members of this committee (Congressman Sisk, Congressman Hays, and Congressman Gross) also endorsed use of the garage space in the Rayburn Building for a firearms practice range. ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS OF OFFICIAL CONDUCT Since we appeared before your committee, need for another item has arisen, estimated to cost $25,000. At the meeting of the House Office Building Commission, yesterday, Congressman Price and other members of the House Com mittee on Standards of Official Conduct appeared before the Commission to request that their committee be assigned space on the third floor of the Raybur Building, identified as room 2360; that the Commission endorse a request for at appropriation of $25,000 to make necessary changes in this one large room te accommodate their committee, in accordance with a layout prepared by the Architect of the Capitol at the request of the committee. The Commission unanimously approved the requests of the committee and directed the Architect of the Capitol to request the House Appropriations Committee to give favorable consideration to the inclusion of $25,000 for this purpose in the legislative branch appropriation bill for 1969. If funds for the remodeling program are not allowed for the fiscal year 199. then it is requested that this item of $25,000 be added to the amount of $700,000 for the items of work recommended to be done in the fiscal year 1969, increasing the total amount, requested, to $725,000. In testifying before your committee, we advised that the only unfinished spaces in the Rayburn Building, suitable for committee use during the re modeling of the Longworth Building, were rooms 2358, 2360, and 2362 on the third floor of the Rayburn Building; that these rooms are now being used f the storage of furniture by the Clerk of the House; that, approval of either funds for a complete remodeling program or, in lieu thereof, $700,000 for work recommended to be done in the fiscal year 1969, in any event, would provide other storage areas for the furniture and permit these rooms to be vacated for committee use. Assignment by the House Office Building Commission of room 2360 to the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct would leave rooms 2358 and 2362 available for other committee use when the Longworth Building is re modeled, and would not interfere with the remodeling program. Under the amount of $25,000, it is proposed to subdivide room 2360, which extains approximately 1,600 square feet of space into seven rooms by erection of masonry and metal partitions. The plans provide for a conference room, a move for the staff director, a room for the assistant staff director and staff, a rec for a secretary, a room for a records clerk, a clerical and reception room, and a storage room for files. Breakdown of estimate Masonry and plastering work____ Metal partition work---. Electrical work (including relocating lighting fixtures, electrical and Acoustical work (including removal and replacement of existing ceiling) Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning 3.51 3.2 2.90 2. 1. 1.0 J. GEORGE STEWART U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS OF OFFICIAL CONDUCT, May 15, 1968. Hon. GEORGE W. ANDREWS, Chairman, Subcommittee on Legislative Branch, Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR GEORGE: The House Office Building Commission today approved a request to assign and subdivide 1,566 square feet at 2360 Rayburn House Office Building for the occupancy and use of this committee. A detailed plan of the subdivision is attached. The Architect's estimated cost of the entire project is $25,000. The requested space is only slightly larger than that presently assigned. It is, however, unlike the present space, adaptable to proper storage of the financial disclosure records, which will shortly be required, and to conversational security. The sensitivity of matters that might be expected to come before this committee makes these considerations most important. In order that the work may go forward, it is respectfully requested that provision for this expenditure be made in the legislative branch appropriation bill now under consideration by your subcommittee. Under the most favorable timing, occupancy could not be expected before early next year. If I may supply additional information or appear before your subcommittee on behalf of this request, I shall be happy to do so. With kindest personal regards. Sincerely, MELVIN PRICE, Chairman. NOTE.-Detailed layout plan referred to omitted here. 92 655-68-41 |