LIBRARY BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS, STRUCTURAL AND MECHANICAL

CARE

Object classification

[In thousands of dollars]

11 Personnel compensation:

Permanent positions.

Other personnel compensation.

Total personnel compensation..

12 Personnel benefits..

25 Other services:

General annual repairs...

Annual painting...

Maintenance and repairs, air-conditioning and refrig-
eration systems..

Maintenance and repairs, elevators.

Equip part of bookstacks with map cases, annex..

Equip part of deck for bookshelving, annex.

Installation of floor tile, both buildings..

Repairs to mosaic ceilings and floor tile and marble
floor tile, main building..

Restore and repair decorated plaster ceilings, second
floor exhibit hall, main building..

Cleaning exterior stonework, main building.

Birdproofing upper areas of main building, including
courtyard..

Roof repairs and replacements, main building.
Expansion of cafeteria, main building..

Replacement of book conveyors, north and south
stacks, main building..

Adjustable loading dock, receiving unit, main build-
ing..

Replacement of air filter bank, southeast stack, main
building..

Floor matting, main building entrances..
Replacement of silk wall covering in former House of
Representatives reading room, main building.
Installation of heating and cooling system, main build-
ing, including necessary structural and other work..
Pointing exterior stonework, both buildings.
Elevator modernization and improvements, both
buildings..

Replacement of steam pressure reducing valves, main
and annex buildings..

30

Mr. STEED. We now go to "Library Buildings and Grounds," page 146 of the justifications and page 80 of the bill. We will insert pages 146 to 157, inclusive.

(The pages follow :)

1961 appropriation in annual act__

DEDUCTIONS

Installation of floor tile, both buildings: Main reading room, 1st floor; Music Division catalog and reading room, ground floor; Loan Division, ground floor; periodical reading room, ground floor; snackbar, ground floor; and control room, ground floor-all in the main building; Catalog Maintenance Division and Presidential papers project, 3d floor, annex..

Pointing exterior stone work, both buildings: dropped for 1962program completed___.

$942, 300

31, 400

35, 000

Repairs to mosaic ceilings and floor tile and marble floor tile, main
building: 5th year allotment of repair program__-
Elevator modernization and improvements, both buildings: nonre-
curring item allowed for 1961 to convert elevators Nos. 3 and 4,
annex, to automatic operation-dropped for 1962__.
Replacement of steam pressure reducing valves, main building: non-
recurring item allowed for 1961-dropped for 1962..
Installation of sprinkler system, north unfinished area, annex:
nonrecurring item allowed for 1961-dropped for 1962...
Air condition east subbasement machine room, annex: nonrecurring
item allowed for 1961-dropped for 1962---

20,000

125,000

30,000

5,000

4, 200

Heating and cooling survey and study, main building: nonrecurring
item allowed for 1961-dropped for 1962

Replacement of electric tram, for use in both buildings: nonrecur-
ring item allowed for 1961-dropped for 1962_-_.
Miscellaneous handling and cleaning equipment: miscellaneous non-
recurring equipment allowed for 1961-dropped for 1962
Care of grounds, both buildings: Purchase of a power sweeper for
use on sidewalks and drives ($1,000); repairs to sidewalks
($7,300)-nonrecurring items allowed for 1961-dropped for 1962__

Total------

Base for 1962__-

25, 000

3,500

7,400

8, 300 -294, 800

647, 500

ADDITIONS

Personal compensation:
Wage-rate increases authorized by Public Law 763, 83d Congress-
Under the provisions of Public Law 763, 83d Congress, 57
laborers and mechanics on the Library Buildings and
Grounds roll are compensated on a wage-board, prevailing-
rate basis. Public Law 763 provides that the compensation
of such employees shall be fixed and adjusted from time
to time as nearly as is consistent with the public interest
in accordance with prevailing rates.

An increase of $5,200 is requested for 1962 to meet on a
full-year basis the cost of increased wage rates established
for these wage-board positions as a result of a general sur-
vey of Government and industrial employees' wages in the
Washington metropolitan area, conducted during the past
year. The new rates went into effect December 25, 1960,
in accordance with the provisions of Public Law 85-872,
85th Congress. This increase is necessary in order that
the Library Buildings and Grounds wage-board employees
may be compensated on a full-year basis in the fiscal year
1962 in accordance with present prevailing rates.
The gross

cost of these changes is $12,000. Of this cost, $6,800 is
being absorbed through savings.

Overtime and holiday pay increased by $1,100 to meet increased pay costs under that allotment resulting from base pay increases under Public Law 763 and the Classification Act.. Personnel benefits: Contribution to retirement fund increased from $22,000 to $23,000....

An allotment of $23,000 is required for 1962 to cover the cost of the Government contribution to the retirement fund required by Public Law 854, 84th Congress. The additional amount results from increase in basic pay rates. Maintenance and repairs, air-conditioning and refrigeration systems: 2 nonrecurring items requested under this allotment for 1962$17,000 for the replacement of supply fans 1, 2, 4 and 9 in the Annex, due to maintenance problems which have arisen through increase of fan motor sizes; also, from cracked blades, broken tierods, sheared-off rivets, and other defective parts-these fans supply cooling and heating for 400,000 square feet of floor space or approximately two-thirds of the entire annex, and their replacement is urgent; $5,000 to convert the Rare Book Division airconditioning system to operation off the Capitol Power Plant chilled water supply---

Maintenance and repairs, elevators: Nonrecurring increase to permit the reconditioning of the penthouse motor rooms of elevators Nos. 1 and 2, west side, main building. These penthouses are of metal construction and in poor condition. The elevator machinery and controls are subjected to moisture and water leaks, and the apparatus is exposed to dust and dirt. As there is no insulation or forced ventilation present, the equipment is subject to extreme heat in the summer. These conditions can be corrected with the funds requested..

Installation of floor tile, both buildings: This item is requested to install floor tile in the Coolidge Auditorium; old refrigeration room and former substation, cellar; and charwomen's and laborers' quarters, cellar, all in the main building; and in the Government Printing Office Printing Branch space, ground floor, annex..

$5, 200

1,100

1,000

22,000

14,700

16, 800

Repairs to mosaic floor tile and marble floor tile, main building—6th
year allotment: Work done with funds provided during the first
5 years of the program includes mosaic floors on all four sides of
the second floor, main entrance hall, the marble tiled floor in the
west south curtain (south exhibit hall), second floor, the mosaie
ceilings first floor entrance hall, the mosaic floor in the southwest
pavilion, second floor, and the combination mosaic-marble tile floors
in the north-south corridors, first floor. Work is now in progress
on the marble and mosaic floors in the north, south, and east corri-
dors, first floor, main entrance hall. Under the funds requested for
1962, it is proposed to complete necessary repairs in the central por-
tion of the main entrance hall, first floor, and repair some of the
corridor areas around the perimeter of the building, particularly
on the ground floor. Because of the highly specialized nature of
the work and the skilled service required, it is requested that the
work be authorized to be done without regard to section 3709 of the
Revised Statutes, as amended, as was authorized in previous appro-
priations for this purpose___.
Restore and repair decorated plaster ceilings, 2d floor, exhibit halls,
main building: Requested to complete the restoration and repair
of decorated plaster ceilings in the east and west corridors, and
approach to the visitors' gallery in this space. North and south
corridors were done with 1960 funds, but they were not sufficient
to complete the whole area.......
Cleaning exterior stonework, main building: Never having been
cleaned since construction in 1897, the exterior stonework is very
dirty. It needs to be cleaned in order to improve its appearance
and to bring it into conformity with other buildings in the Capitol
Hill group which have been cleaned recently.
Birdproofing upper areas, including courtyards, of main building:
Requested to permit the installation of an electronic bird eviction
system, similar to the one recently installed, with effective results,
on the Supreme Court Building. The main Library building has
a number of sheltered roosting places which have proved attractive
to birds, with the inevitable problems of cleanliness and unsightli-

ness

Roof repairs and replacement, main building: $12,700, a nonrecurring item, for installation of a new tile roof on the garage. The present roof, which is over 25 years old, leaks and is in a state of general disrepair. It is proposed to remove the existing tile and install new membrane waterproofing, necessary copper flashing, and new tile. $18,000, a nonrecurring item, for installation of a new copper roof on the Coolidge Auditorium. The present roof is slag which has been in service over 35 years and is in need of replacement. It is proposed to remove the existing slag materials and install a suitable copper roof which will be easier to maintain and which will have a long life___

Cafeteria expansion, main building: This is a nonrecurring item requested to permit badly needed expansion of the cafeteria into space recently made vacant by the removal of electrical substation equipment. With a present capacity of about 135 persons, the existing cafeteria is very inadequate for the needs of the 2.700 employees in the Library, plus tourists, readers, study-room occupants, and others. For efficient and rapid service, the cafeteria should have a seating capacity of about 400. The additional space available will permit expansion to a capacity of 350. The removal of several restaurants on Independence Avenue for expansion and improvements of the Capitol Grounds will further aggravate the problem

Replacement of book conveyors, north and south stacks, main build-
ing: These two chain and basket conveyors, which deliver books
from the main building bookstacks to the main reading room for
the use of patrons there, have been in use over 60 years. They are
obsolete and subject to frequent breakdown, with the result that
they require a disproportionate amount of maintenance and repair
and adversely affect service to readers. Due to the obsolescence
factor, repair parts are difficult to obtain and have to be specially
fabricated at relatively high cost. The numerous deficiencies in
this equipment and its faulty operation result in mutilation of
books carried on it and expose attendants to personal injury. Over
500,000 volumes are carried on these conveyors annually. New con-
veyors are badly needed for modern, efficient, trouble-free service__
Adjustable loading dock. Receiving Unit, main building: This equip-
ment would replace part of the present stationary dock and facili-
tate the loading and unloading of equipment and materials by
allowing the dock to be hydraulically adjusted to any truck bed
height. Such a dock would speed up loading and unloading opera-
tions and eliminate safety hazards connected with present methods.
Replacement of air filter bank for the southeast stack, main building:
This obsolete type oil bath air filter system is used in connection
with the heating and ventilating of the southeast bookstack. It is
over 30 years old and very inefficient with respect to filtering out
dirt and other foreign substances which are detrimental to well-
being of the collections. It is proposed to replace the present
system with modern manual roll type filters.
Floor matting, main building entrances: Requested in order to pro-
vide better protection for the marble floors in the main building.
Suitable matting at entrances will trap most of the sand and dirt,
thus preventing it from being tracked on further into the building
and simplifying cleaning problems. Present matting does not wear
well, is hard to clean, and is frequently hazardous_--
Replacement of silk wall covering in former House of Representa-
tives reading room, main building: The present covering is over
60 years old and has become faded, torn in places and dry rotted.
Since the room is otherwise one of the most elaborately and hand-
somely decorated rooms in the Library, it is desired to replace the
present covering with new material of suitable color and design__
Installation of heating and cooling system, main building, including
necessary structural and other work....

Guy B. Panero, private practicing engineer of New York City, made a survey and study of the heating and cooling systems of the Main Library of Congress Building under funds provided for such purpose last year. His studies revealed that the present systems are highly deficient and deteriorated and in urgent need of replacement, at an estimated cost of $2,500,000. Design and installation of the new system would require the work to extend into the fiscal year 1963, until completion.

The existing systems are 63 years old and are in very poor physical condition with likely prospects for complete failure at any time in the near future. Even at best the building is possessed of a poorly designed ventilating system and a heating system which is insufficient, ineffective, and entirely obsolete by any standards.

The incapability of the present heating and ventilating systems to provide internal atmospheric conditions compatible with present-day standards commonly employed in libraries of lesser importance is, in itself, sufficient cause for condemning the existing installations.

Of more vital concern is the obsolescence of the mechanical equipment and piping systems, and the serious impairment of the physical condition of some of the major components. During their prolonged period of use, they have been continually subjected to the violently destructive action of chemicals and fluids. Major equipment failures may be imminent without detection and, because of their obsolescence, replacement parts are no

$180,000

3, 500

2,500

2,100

3,600

2,500,000