arrearage and to keep current with the increased production that will result if positions are granted in the Descriptive Cataloging Division for reducing the arrearage in that Division and for keeping abreast of the current intake of the Library, it is estimated that nine GS-11 subject catalogers are required. The normal ratio of descriptive catalogers to subject catalogers is 4 to 1, and it is on that premise that this request is made. The arrearage of 21,366 titles represents approximately 5 man-years of work. With the requested increase in subject cataloging staff, the arrearage can be attacked and gradually reduced to a minimum working figure concurrently with the expanded cataloging of current receipts. It is necessary to add at least one GS-5 shelf lister for each additional subject cataloger. Consequently, nine shelf listers will be required if the additional subject cataloger positions are granted. In addition, the period between appointment and full productivity of the requested subject catalogers would be sufficient to enable us to recruit and adequately train sufficient shelf listers to eliminate the arrearage of 2,545 titles awaiting shelf listing at the close of fiscal 1962. A GS-5 secretary is required not only to serve as secretary to the Assistant Chief, who has no secretary, but to provide secretarial support for the principal cataloger and the remainder of the Division. Arrearages are common in the prepublication typing necessary for updating of technical cataloging publications, in typing answers to queries from other libraries who are users of the Library of Congress classification system and subject heading lists, and in basic administrative correspondence. The present secretarial and clerical staff in the Division is composed of one secretary to the Chief and one clerk-typist. This is inadequate in view of the size and responsibilities of the Division. During times of sickness, absence, or staff vacancy, it has been necessary to detail help into the Division Office from the Shelf Listing Section, which is undesirable because this Section is already operating with a backlog. One GS-5 secretary is therefore requested. Mr. STEED. This involves some 57 additional jobs at a cost of $406,404. Can you give some additional detail on the need? Dr. MUMFORD. As I indicated in the preliminary statement, Mr. Chairman, we have been receiving more material than we could catalog for a number of years. I was not in a position to ask for additional positions because we did not have the space in which to put the catalogers. With the space becoming available at the Naval Weapons Plant, and the movement of some activity from the annex building to the Naval Weapons Plant, we will have room for them to work. It is exceedingly important, as we receive materials, that they be cataloged and become available for use. We are concentrating heavily in these estimates on the cataloging function in order to get rid of these arrearages, first of all to try to stay current with the material coming in, and then to work off the old arrearages as we can. Mr. STEED. As I understood from the opening statement you are not staying current at the present time? Dr. MUMFORD. That is right. This request is broken down into two parts that which is required in order to stay current with incoming material and that which is required to work off arrearages. Mr. STEED. If you are not going to get your new space until April of 1964, when will you be able to start using these additional people? Dr. MUMFORD. We thought that as fast as we could recruit them we could arrange temporarily, even though heavily congested, to place them. In other words, we could utilize them under conditions that we would not normally undertake to use them on a permanent basis, but for that period until we did get into the weapons plant. It will take some time to recruit a considerable number of trained catalogers. Mr. STEED. Mr. Horan? Mr. HORAN. What is the total personnel in the Library of Congress? Dr. MUMFORD. I believe it is shown on table 2, Mr. Horan. Mr. ROSSITER. There are 2,150 on the appropriated funds. Mr. HORAN. How many on these transfer funds? Mr. ROSSITER. Some 3,000 in all in the agency. Dr. MUMFORD. If we include the transferred funds and gift and trust funds it totals about 3,000. Mr. HORAN. When I was there the last time you were thoroughly congested. Just where are you going to put these folks until you get the weapons plant space? Dr. MUMFORD. We will just crowd them more into the cataloging division. Mr. HORAN. On top of each other? Dr. MUMFORD. Not quite that. We are also planning to use some unitized furniture so that we can effect a savings of space where there are old-fashioned types of desks that the catalogers are now using. By replacing some of these with unitized furniture we will be able to save some space. Then when the card distribution service moves to the Naval Weapons Plant this will vacate between 40,000 and 50,000 square feet of space. Mr. WELSH. We can remove some of the bookstack equipment which has been set aside for expansion of the collections. We have temporarily put some of the staff in such an area, which is highly undesirable for permanent occupancy because of poor air circulation and inadequate lighting, but we could utilize it for staff for a short period. Mr. HORAN. You are asking for how many new positions now? Dr. MUMFORD. Fifty-seven in these divisions. Did you mean the catalogers? Mr. HORAN. What I am actually asking is the total number of new positions that the Library is asking for which will be used on the premises on top of the 3,000 you already have there, plus customers of the Library. Dr. MUMFORD. Some of the new positions for the Card Distribution Division will be in the Naval Weapons Plant. Mr. HORAN. After April of 1964? Dr. MUMFORD. Yes, and 28 of these positions, those being used in the Monthly Index of Russian Accessions are already on the staff. We are asking for money to continue their positions since another agency has been transferring money to the Library to support this activity. Mr. HORAN. They are already in the Library and in the Annex? Dr. MUMFORD. They are already working. We do not need additional space for them. Mr. HORAN. As it now stands you have answered my question by saying you can find room for all these additional people. Dr. MUMFORD. Yes, sir. This will be under temporary conditions until we move into the Naval Weapons Plant, and than under better conditions. Mr. LANGEN. The 38 positions here you say you already have? Mr. STEED. They are talking about the 57 positions. Mr. LANGEN. Well, let us take the 38. How many catalogers do you have now? Mr. CRONIN. Total now on board? Mr. LANGEN. Yes. Mr. ROSSITER. 183, sir. That is subject and descriptive. Mr. LANGEN. So you would in this category be adding 38 positions to where you now have 183? Dr. MUMFORD. The total additional for cataloging operations would be 57. There are 38 additional in the Descriptive Cataloging Division and 19 additional in the Subject Cataloging Division. The total cataloging force, including the people who are the professional catalogers, the shelf listers and the clerical supporting staff would be 57 as compared to 183 at the present time. Mr. LANGEN. This becomes almost a 25-percent increase, however. Dr. MUMFORD. It is a considerable increase in our cataloging staff. I would like to say that this staff has not been augmented for a great many years, whereas we have been getting more materials to be cataloged. The reason I have not requested more cataloging positions in recent years is the one I just gave, that we did not have space to locate them on a continuing basis. Mr. LANGEN. I gather on page 23 this is to give us an idea of the backlog which exists. Is that right? Dr. MUMFORD. Yes, sir. Mr. STEED. Assuming you get this space and these people working around April of next year, how long do you anticipate it would take you to get current and to get your backlog under control? Dr. MUMFORD. This arrearage we have represented in the table on page 24 represents approximately 166 man-years of work at present production levels. A task force of 10-GS-9 catalogers could make significant strides toward eliminating these arrearages in the foreseeable future. It would take about 161/2 years at the present rate of production. Mr. STEED. Of course, you cannot tell whether the increase will continue and if it does by how much. Can you make any allowance in this request for the fact that the inflow of material may continue to go up? Dr. MUMFORD. The personnel that is requested to stay current with materials is based on our present intake. PROPOSED SHIFT OF FINANCING OF MONTHLY INDEX OF RUSSIAN ACCESSIONS Mr. STEED. On page 11, the first item in the Processing Department, I believe it has to do with 38 jobs at a cost of $222,429. That is in the Russian Accessions Branch? Dr. MUMFORD. Yes; that is concerned with the publication called the Monthly Index of Russian Accessions. On page 18 there is a breakdown of the staff that is required to produce this index, and I would request that pages 18 and 19 be placed in the record. And 21 also might be inserted. Mr. STEED. We shall insert pages 18 through 21 of the justifications in the record at this point. (The pages referred to follow :) JUSTIFICATION OF NEW POSITIONS REQUESTED To continue the publication of the Monthly Index of Russian Accessions:' Cyrillic bibliographic project, Monthly Index of Russian Accessions Section (38 positions) 1 GS-12X editor__ 1 GS-110 assistant editor_. 3 GS-110 subject, cataloger-translator reviewers, at $8,590_. 1 GS-11A subject cataloger-translator reviewer__ 2 GS-9F subject cataloger-translators, at $7,800 1 GS-7F head, Card Copy and Indexing Unit___ 1 GS-70 supervisor, Cataloging and Searching Unit_. 1 GS-6G assistant head, Card Copy and Indexing Unit. 2 GS-5F catalogers, at $5,366... 5 GS-5C editorial assistants, at $4,888. 1 GS-5A proofreader_. 1 GS-5A searcher__ 1 GS-5A filer______ 1 GS-5A preliminary cataloger.... 1 GS-4C serials assistant___ 2 GS-4C editorial clerks, at $4,410. 1 GS-3G arranger-messenger. 7 GS-30 clerk-typists, at $4,035. 4 GS-3A clerk-typists, at $3,827. 1 GS-2A arranger.. Subtotal___ Personnel benefits-- Total (38 positions) --. The Monthly Index of Russian Accessions Section is a part of the Cyrillic bibliographic project. Since the Library of Congress inaugurated the Monthly List of Russian Accessions (later the Monthly Index) in 1948, financial support of the publication has come from several sources. In fiscal 1963, however, support became limited to the National Science Foundation alone, with the added stipulation that such support could not be continued beyond fiscal 1963, and it was urged that a survey of user interest be made, to be financed by the National Science Foundation. The survey was made by the Diebold Group, Inc., and took approximately 3 months. The report provides strong support for the continuance of the Index. The essential findings in the summary chapter (pp. II-1 to II-5) are: "It is estimated that there are approximately 4,000 individual users of MIRA, including about 2,400 users (60 percent) in the physical sciences." (A-1) "It is estimated that about 2,500 individual users would be critically affected if MIRA were to be discontinued, including about 1,500 physical scientists." (B-2) "The body of opinion developed in this study discloses numerous important benefits from the use of MIRA, and many claims of serious adverse effects should the publication be discontinued. The results of the study point toward the continuation of MIRA.” (From final paragraph of summary chapter.) Sixty-five to seventy percent of the contents of the Index fall into the fields of science and technology and its heaviest use is by physical scientists. However, use by social scientists is also significant. In addition, the Library of Congress makes considerable use of this publication for the bibliographical control and reference exploitation of its own collections. The Diebold survey questioned users about specific improvements felt to be desirable in the Index. One of the most frequently called for changes was The cost of printing this publication, $28,000, is covered under the appropriation "Distribution of catalog cards.' the reinstatement of the former part B of the Index-the listing of tables of contents of periodicals. This had previously been discontinued in August 1960 because of fund limitations. One GS-5 proofreader and four GS-3 clerk-typists are included in the personnel request for this purpose. Another improvement urged was the reduction of the timelag in listing publications. One GS-11 reviewer, one GS-5 searcher, one GS-5 filer, one GS-5 cataloger, and one GS-2 arranger are included in the personnel request for the purpose of improving the currency of the publication. The remaining 28 positions requested are in the present table of organization of the Monthly Index of Russian Accessions. Increase in number of monographs received and in number of outside library entries received for listing in MIRA Mr. STEED. As I understand it, 28 of these positions have been paid from transfer funds? Is that correct? Dr. MUMFORD. Yes, sir. Mr. STEED. How long have you been carrying on this activity? Dr. MUMFORD. This Index was started in 1948. It was called the Monthly List of Russian Accessions at that time. Over the years, financial support came from several sources. In fiscal 1963, however, support became limited to the National Science Foundation alone, with the added stipulation that such support could not be continued beyond fiscal 1963, and it was urged then that a survey of user interest be made. This was done, and we have indicated some of the results of that users survey on page 20 of the justification. This is an invaluable tool to the scholars who are working in this field, and for our national interest. It is the only tool which provides us with an indication of the publications which are being received from the U.S.S.R. and satellite countries, and while these numbers of users may not be extremely impressive, I think the impact of the publication is very great. It is of very great use to the Library of Congress in servicing its own collections, for the Congress, Government, and scientific and scholarly worlds. It would be tragic if this publication had to be suspended. There is nothing else to take its place. Mr. STEED. Is not at least one other Government agency making a contribution to this publication? Dr. MUMFORD. May I go off the record, Mr. Chairman? Mr. STEED. Can you first answer "Yes" or "No"? Dr. MUMFORD. Yes. (Discussion held off the record.) Mr. STEED. I am not sure that I understand clearly why the National Science Foundation finds it necessary to withdraw its support from this activity. Dr. MUMFORD. As a general policy, the National Science Foundation does not support things on a continuing basis. This is general policy. |