the Library is to continue to serve the Government effectively. So rapid is the proliferation of serial publications that it is now estimated that 8,000 new titles of this kind come into existence annually throughout the world. From the area of East Europe alone, 569 serial titles new to this country were recorded in 1959, a 15-percent increase over 1958 of total periodical production. The impact on the Library's finances caused by this growth in serial publications is evidenced by the fact that it has been necessary to increase the allocation of funds each year for this program until at the present time 56 percent of the Library's book budget is required to purchase current serial publications. In many fields of research and expanding knowledge the serial publication is considered to be the most important form of library publication, and to insure that the Library continues to acquire the most important serial publications which are currently published and to acquire new titles as they become available, additional funds are necessary.

The assumption of a more important role, politically and economically, by countries in the areas of Africa, south and southeast Asia, and parts of the Far East dictates the policy of developing stronger collections from those areas. Additional funds are required to undertake an acquisitions program designed to acquire current publications on a fairly comprehensive basis and to acquire systematically publications to complete gaps in the Library's collections. A recent survey of post-World War II serial holdings has disclosed the lack of some 1,500 volumes of Japanese scholarly and scientific monographic series. Gaps in the holdings of publications from the underdeveloped countries in these areas are extensive due to the lack of national bibliographies.

Comparable to the need to strengthen the Library's collections on an area basis is the need to strengthen its collections on a subject basis particularly in the fields of science and technology where the universal increase in publishing continues at the expanded rate noted in previous justifications. Statisties of commercial production in the U.S. record that scientific, technical, and military books published in 1959 rose 18 percent over the number published in 1958 and in 1958 increased 20 percent over 1957. This increased publishing activity is indicative of the necessity of a proportional increase in the Library's acquisitions activities.

For the purpose of meeting increased costs, providing adequate coverage of the increased volume of material being published, and intensifying the Library's acquisition program in newly important areas of the world, the sum of $88,000 is requested.

Additional materials for exchange use

The Library of Congress depends to a considerable degree upon its worldwide network of exchanges with academic institutions, learned societies and government agencies for the acquisition of publications which are not ordinarily available for purchase through the usual book trade channels. There were 18.185 informal exchange arrangements in effect at the close of fiscal 1959. In order to acquire this type of publication the Library purchases current American publications to meet some of the requests of its exchange partners. The sum of $5,000 is requested to purchase additional publications to be exchanged for foreign publications of equivalent value.

Microfilming current newspapers

The need for continued expansion of the program to acquire current newspapers on microfilm grows as the available shelf space in the Library decreases. The acquiring of materials in microform not only conserves space which is already at a premium but it saves the payment of binding costs on material which physically is inherently temporary and will eventually need to be filmed for permanent preservation. The Library is presently purchasing 235 American and 155 foreign newspapers on microfilm at an annual cost of approximately $30.000 but there are, in addition, 85 American and 578 foreign newspapers which should be microfilmed but for which there are insufficient funds for this purpose. The filming of the current issues of the additional 663 titles would cost $33,000 a year. In order to keep the requests for additional funds to a minimum and in view of the equal importance of the other items in the budget estimates, only the sum of $7,000 is requested which will provide funds to purchase the more important of those titles on microfilm.

NEED FOR INCREASED FUNDS

Mr. NORRELL. Doctor, will you please summarize the situation? Mr. MUMFORD. Well, as we have indicated in the justifications here, this request is designed to meet the problem of increasing prices for library materials, both in this country and abroad, and to meet the ever-growing requirements for information from all the areas. There is more material being published, both in this country and other parts of the world. Finally, to provide for some microfilm-for additional microfilming of materials on poor paper and for acquiring more current newspapers on microfilm. Already, as I have indicated, we are carrying on a considerable microfilming program on deteriorating materials already in our possession.

Mr. Rogers, would you like to elaborate upon this further?

Mr. ROGERS. We have introduced something new in the justification for this increase this year and that is a comparison with other research libraries. We realize that the Library of Congress is a unique institution in this country, but we do think that the fact that other research libraries have increased their book budgets in the last 9 or 10 years, all the way from 40 percent to over 100 percent, is indicative of what is happening in this particular field, and the increase of the Library of Congress has been much more modest than that. This merely verifies our experience that we do not have adequate funds in order to acquire the materials which we need.

Mr. MUMFORD. We have here, Mr. Chairman, figures from a number of institutions as to the increases in their book budgets.

We have inserted in the record some-not all of them—and we have not selected only the higher ones. Actually, the complete list reflects some much higher percentages than those that we have put into the record-but it does show, as Mr. Rogers says, that every library is faced with a problem of increasing prices of books and other library materials and increased production of those materials. There are more of them to be acquired and they cost more.

MICROFILMING PROGRAM

Mr. NORRELL. How do you determine, Doctor, what you microfilm and what you do not microfilm?

Mr. MUMFORD. Well, the condition of the paper is one of the primary considerations. Many current newspapers published in this country and abroad are on extremely poor paper and will last only a short time. So, it is highly desirable for us to get them on microfilm and we may thereby save the cost of binding them.

As far as the materials now on the shelves of the Library are concerned, our main consideration would be the preservation of them, whether they are deteriorating so rapidly that they will soon be lost completely.

Mr. NORRELL. A few years ago we ordered you to microfilm several items about President Lincoln.

Mr. MUMFORD. The presidential papers; yes, sir.

Mr. NORRELL. Is that continuing?

Mr. MUMFORD. Yes, sir; it is continuing. We get to that a little later here in the book. That project will require several years for completion.

Mr. NORRELL. Are you doing anything else?

Mr. MUMFORD. Oh, yes, sir; we are constantly microfilming.

Mr. NORRELL. What will be your program when these presidential papers are completed? Are you going to continue to add to this?

Mr. MUMFORD. This project included the papers of all of the 23 Presidents whose papers we have.

Mr. NORRELL. You plan to do all of that, of course?

Mr. MUMFORD. It is a part of one project.

We would hope to continue the program of microfilming materials on the shelves that are falling to pieces. This is a separate program that goes on all the time. The presidential papers was a special project to assure preservation and to make them more widely available. Mr. NORRELL. Any further questions?

COST INCREASES-FOREIGN MATERIALS

Mr. HORAN. I notice some increases in the cost of foreign publications. Do you have any comment on that, Dr. Mumford?

Mr. ROGERS. I have worked out, Mr. Horan, what these amount to in percentages on page 71, and they range from 12 percent in Japan to 29 percent in Italy, with the average being something over 20 percent for all of these.

Mr. HORAN. In what period of time?

Mr. ROGERS. This is just within the 4-year period, and if you take a longer period of time you will find the percentages are running 50 to 70 percent over a 10- to 12-year period. This, again, is evidence that this is a constant increase.

Mr. HORAN. What percentage of this money is spent abroad?

Mr. ROGERS. A rather substantial amount.

Mr. MUMFORD. We broke that down a couple years ago for the committee. We can supply it, I think, quite easily.

Mr. ROGERS. Yes; we can supply it.

(The information follows:)

AMOUNT SPENT ABROAD FROM APPROPRIATION "GENERAL INCREASE OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, FISCAL YEAR 1959-60"

The appropriation “General increase of the Library of Congress for fiscal year 1959-60" was $320,000. From this appropriation $285,870 was allotted for the purchase of books and other library materials; of this allotment 59.3 percent, or $169,520, was expended to purchase material in foreign countries.

RELATIONSHIP TO FOREIGN CURRENCY PURCHASE PROGRAM

Mr. HORAN. What is the relationship of this item to what you have covered under the Public Law 480 activity?

Mr. MUMFORD. We have not felt we would get enough material in the immediate future under the Public Law 480 program to affect our normal program of acquisition appreciably.

In time if the Public Law 480 program gets into full swing it might relieve some of our responsibility here, but not for the time being. One of the primary purposes of the Public Law 480 program is to get copies into some other centers in the United States and to get them cataloged.

54877-60-12

Mr. ROGERS. The big publishing centers like France, England, and Italy have no Public Law 480 program. The Public Law 480 program affects parts of the world where publications are not as well advanced as in Western Europe.

Mr. NORRELL. We will turn to page 91 of the bill, increase of the Law Library.

You are asking for $90,000, the same as last year?

Mr. MUMFORD. Yes, sir; this is the same amount that was granted for the current year. We are not asking for an increase for that. Mr. NORRELL. Insert page 78 in the record.

(The page follows:)

GENERAL STATEMENT

This appropriation provides for the purchase of materials for the Law Library, one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of lawbooks ever assembled. It constitutes the only means by which the Law Library can acquire those essential materials not received through copyright deposit, international and domestic exchange, transfer from other Government agencies, and gifts. Approximately 70 percent of the appropriation is necessary to purchase lawbooks in foreign countries. The Congress, the executive departments and agencies, and the Federal courts are dependent upon the Law Library as the most complete and most accessible source of legal information on all subjects for all countries of the world. Continued development of the foreign law collections is imperative for the protection and advancement of Government interests in foreign activities and international relations. Continued preeminence of the Law Library in all fields of law, domestic as well as foreign, prevents wasteful duplication in the working libraries of many Government agencies. No increase is requested in the size of this annual appropriation.

USE OF LAW COLLECTIONS

Mr. NORRELL. Who makes use of the foreign law collections, mostly? Mr. KEITT. It is the only foreign-law library in the Government. We have many instances of the use of the foreign law library we can itemize for you. That question was asked last year and we prepared a long statement which was not printed.

Many vitally important questions are answered by the foreign law library for all agencies of the Government including the Congress, the executive agencies, and the courts, as well as the public, the bar. Mr. NORRELL. How many items have you added to the collection so far this year?

Mr. KEITT. I cannot give you the complete answer for this year. I can give it to you for fiscal 1959: 10,792 volumes and pamphlets were added to the European law collections.

Mr. NORRELL. All right.

Mr. KEITT. As for the use of materials, the American-British Law Division issued 221,000 books last year; the European Law Division issued 44,000 books; and the Hispanic Law Division issued 43.000 books.

We served 53,000 readers in the American-British Law Division; 3.590 readers in the European Law Division; and 2,378 readers in the Hispanic Law Division. I do not have the statistics for the Far Eastern and Near Eastern and North African Law Divisions but they can be supplied.

This does not include reference and loan inquiries. They are on pages 32 and 33 of the record. They are substantial. The AmericanBritish Law Division answered 62,991 reference and loan inquiries; the European Law Division answered 9,000 reference and loan inquiries and the Hispanic Law Division answered 7,000 reference and loan inquiries.

Mr. MUMFORD. He just wanted the additions to the collections. Mr. KEITT. I was addressing myself to the uses of the books. Mr. NORRELL. Regarding the foreign law collections, about how many are used per year?

Mr. KEITT. It runs into many thousands, as I just read off from page 32. We have different uses. Many are used for reference purposes. We perform translations and make analyses for Members of Congress.

Mr. NORRELL. Are they used pretty much all the time, you think? Mr. KEITT. Yes. We feel foreign law is very vital at this time, Congressman. This is the largest foreign law library in the world.

SIZE OF LAW COLLECTIONS

Mr. HORAN. What is the size of the collection?

Mr. KEITT. Our total collection is about 14 million. We have about 240,000 to 250,000 in the European Law Division, which is the largest, and about 100,000 in the Hispanic Law Division.

Mr. HORAN. You brought some material in here. Mr. Chairman, I wonder if Mr. Keitt would like to describe the material he brought in here?

Mr. KEITT. The material I brought in here has particular reference to the publication program which is being liquidated. I have examples of the usefulness of the progrem. I cite particularly a 2-volume work entitled "Government, Law, and Courts in Eastern Europe,' which was published last year.

These requests made in the budget for salaries do not include the publication program. However, the publication program has been very useful in answering inquiries for all branches of the Government.