NUMBER OF POSITIONS AND VACANCIES Mr. ANDREWS. How many positions are now authorized and how many are unfilled? Mr. WELSH. For the total appropriation there are 604. For the card distribution service itself there are authorized 451 of which 425 are filled. Mr. ANDREWS. What do you mean 604? Mr. WELSH. This appropriation also finances the book catalogs and some other activities not directly related to the sale of cards. Dr. MUMFORD. Which are self-supporting within themselves. Mr. ANDREWs. You now have 425 on the payroll against an authorization of 451? Mr. WELSH. Yes, sir. Mr. ANDREWS. Are you requesting additional positions? Mr. WELSH. No, sir. Mr. ANDREWS. How does your employment compare with a year ago? Mr. WELSH. It is lower than last year. Last year as of the time of our hearings, we had 430 people on board for the card distribution program and you allowed us 30 additional jobs for that program for fiscal 1969. Mr. ANDREWS. We allowed you 30 additional jobs? Mr. WELSH. Yes, sir. Mr. ANDREWS. Twenty-six vacancies? Mr. WELSH. Yes, sir. Mr. ANDREWS. The committee acted unwisely? Dr. MUMFORD. No, Mr. Chairman. We said that we would be able to pay for the mechanization, rental of equipment, by leaving positions unfilled. This would enable us to operate with less personnel but we needed the funds for the rental of equipment for the time being at least. Mr. Chairman, I wish very much that members of the committee could visit this installation at the Naval Weapons Plant and see the first phase of the mechanization, machinery that by optical recognition reads the orders as they come in, sorts them, and makes them ready to go to the card drawers and then rearranges them when they come back for billing purposes. This has already increased the efficiency of the operation greatly, but in the second STATUS OF MECHANIZATION PROSPECT Mr. ANDREWS. What is the status of your automation project? Dr. MUMFORD. This first phase has been in operation for several months now. We were delayed in getting approval from the Joint Committee on Printing for the second stage which involves equipment that would print out cards upon demand. The concept is to store the image of the card on tape instead of having to stock millions of cards which we don't have space for, and as Mr. Welsh indicated, to reproduce the cards on demand. Mr. ANDREWS. Is that what you mean by automating printing of cards on demand? Dr. MUMFORD. Yes, sir. Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Andrews? Mr. ANDREWS of North Dakota. No questions. Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Reifel? Mr. REIFEL. No questions. Mr. ANDREWS. We will recess until 10 o'clock tomorrow morning. Dr. MUMFORD. At your pleasure, Mr. Chairman. Mr. STEED (presiding). The committee will be in order. Doctor, I believe when the committee recessed yesterday, we were down to the item for books for the general collections. There is a $175,000 increase requested for this item? Would you like to make a statement on this? Dr. MUMFORD. Thank you. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I would like to request that pages 148, 149, 150, and 151 go into the record. Mr. STEED. Without objection, these justifications, will be made a part of the record at this point. (The justifications follow:) 1969 Regular bill. 1970 Estimate__ Net increase_. ANALYSIS OF INCREASES Purchase of books and other library materials, +$175,000 A continuing increase in the price of library materials dilutes the Library's ability to acquire much needed research publications for its collections. The average cost of books has risen from $4.12 in fiscal 1966 to $4.79 in fiscal 1968, or 16.2 percent. Purchase of books and other library material, increase of $175,000, from $665,000 to $840,000 This appropriation provides for the purchase of materials for the Library's general collections, which must be both comprehensive and current in order to meet the needs of the Congress, Federal agencies, and the general research community. The Government must have immediately available full information concerning the physical, social, political, and economic conditions of all countries, as well as the most up-to-date coverage in such fields as science and technology. The Library's acquisitions program involves the worldwide procurement of those current and noncurrent publications essential to meet this need. Although materials come to the Library through copyright deposit, transfer from Federal agencies, gift, domestic and international exchange, and by provisions of State and Federal law, it is the material acquired through this appropriation that augments these other sources of Library material in a most important way, enabling the Library to provide essential information at the time when it is most critically needed. For fiscal year 1969 the Library requested an increase of $175,000 to enable it to fulfill its mission of acquiring noncurrent materials in all areas and subjects of continuing interest, to compensate for rising costs of publications and to further develop the reference collections of the Legislative Reference Service. The sum of $75,000 was authorized, of which $60,000 was approved to offset price increases while $15,000 was authorized for further development of the reference collections of the Service. The prices of books and other library materials continue to rise. In 1966 the sum of $237,983 paid for 18,774 serials and periodical subscriptions at an average cost of $12.68. In 1968 the sum of $278,036 paid for 19,270 subscriptions at an average cost of $14.43. The average cost of books has risen from $4.12 in fiscal 1966 to $4.79 in fiscal 1968, or 16.2 percent. These increases continue unabated in 1969. Examples of some of the prices paid for subscriptions on recent and immediately previous billings are as follows: To offset increases in prices in fiscal 1968 and 1969, to obtain noncurrent materials in all areas and subjects of current interest, and to meet an anticipated price increase in 1970 of 10 percent, an increase in this appropriation of $175,000 Is requested. From the special reserve fund of $25,000, $23,595.65 had been expended by November 30, 1968. Among the items purchased because of their historical and literary value to fill gaps in the Library's collections or to add significant materials of research Value: a George Washington letter written to James Madison in 1789; a James Madison letter to James Monroe; a William Howard Taft holograph ledger; a Benjamin Franklin letter to Francis Hopkinson; a General John C. Fremont letter to Edward Bok; and Robert Frost manuscripts. Dr. MUMFORD. This increase is based primarily on the increase in the price of books. As we have indicated in the justifications, since 1966-68 the average cost of books had risen 16.2 percent. We have given some examples of periodicals and the very great increase in the cost of them. If we are to keep abreast of acquiring the materials that we need that we do not get by copyright in this country, namely, publications that we have to purchase abroad, as well as fill in some of the gaps as we discover older materials that are very important and must be purchased, we need this addition very badly. Mr. STEED. This would bring your 1970 total up to $840,000. You got a $75,000 increase last year. Dr. MUMFORD. Yes, sir; we did. We had asked for $175,000, which was reduced to $75,000. Mr. STEED. If this were allowed, it would make a $250,000 increase over a 2-year period. Dr. MUMFORD. Yes, sir. Mr. STEED. Will that bring you up to what you think is the current need? Dr. MUMFORD. It certainly will get us in a much more favorable position. The year before that, fiscal 1968, we did not ask or receive any addition. COPYRIGHT DEPOSITS VERSUS PURCHASES Mr. STEED. In connection with the periodicals, what percent of your needs for periodicals do you get through the copyright law, and how much do you have to buy in addition to that? Dr. MUMFORD. I cannot personally give you a percentage. Mr. Welsh may be able to speak to that. We do get a substantial amount through copyright, but frequently they do not come promptly enough and we may have to purchase them in order to provide information to the Congress and the rest of the Government, before the copyright deposits come. Mr. WELSH. Mr. Chairman, I cannot give the percentage, either, but we rely heavily on copyright for receipt of U.S. publications, and this is a very important addition to the collections. The greater percentage of this appropriation is used to buy foreign periodical materials which are generally not received through copyright. Mr. STEED. Are the costs of foreign periodicals skyrocketing as they are in this country? Mr. WELSH. Yes, sir. Mr. STEED. Let us take the item for Scientific American, which in your justification sheet shows about a one-third increase. How many copies of this magazine would you need? Mr. WELSH. I do not have the answer to that. Probably at least two. Mr. STEED. Does it vary on different types of publications? Mr. WELSH. Yes, it does. Dr. MUMFORD. Frequently, even if we receive a copy through copyright, we need additional copies of an American publication. Mr. STEED. What would you estimate to be the amount of this fund that goes for foreign publications? Mr. WELSH. Sixty-five percent goes for foreign publications. Mr. WELSH. We get some, but very few. Mr. STEED. Then it is a very substantial advantage to you that domestic publications are available through copyright? Mr. WELSH. Yes, indeed. Mr. YATES. I was under the impression that foreign authors wanted to take advantage of our American market and that they were filing copies with you under the copyright laws. DR. MUMFORD. They can, but they are not required to. Under the Universal Copyright Convention their work is protected in this country in any event. They may wish to deposit and register in order to have a record in case there is any litigation involved in this country with respect to it. Mr. WELSH. There is also the problem that even when they file copies, they are frequently too late for our needs. BASIS FOR REQUESTED INCREASE Mr. STEED. In making an estimate of an increase in costs in fiscal 1970, is that just off the top of your head, or what factors do you use in making the determination? Mr. WELSH. We look at the record of costs for the past several years as well as the receipts for the current year and try to determine the trend. I have some additional examples of foreign publications which show a continuing upward trend. Dr. MUMFORD. Essentially, it is based on what we have been paying and are paying currently, and the changes that have taken place in the preceding year. USE OF SPECIAL RESERVE FUND Mr. STEED. On page 151 of the justifications, you refer to the special reserve fund of $25,000, and you list some items procured with that fund. Dr. MUMFORD. Yes, Mr. Chairman. You will recall, Mr. Chairman, that the funds were appropriated to enable us to get unusual items that might come on the market from time to time and which we Would not be able to purchase out of our regular funds. Mr. STEED. Are you dealing here with factors that have to do with the same sort of thing that gets into the collection of coins and stamps, where a rarity of something affects its value? Dr. MUMFORD. Yes, sir. In almost all the cases they are rare materials. We may purchase them directly or bid for them at auction. Many times we bid and do not obtain the items because we do not have the finds to pay high prices. But the $25,000 special reserve fund does enable us to get some valuable materials to build on strength in our llections and to fill gaps. CONVERSION OF NITRATE PRINTS TO SAFETY-BASE FILM Mr. STEED. On page 128 of the committee print, you refer to preserving certain nitrate stills by converting them to a safety-base film. How much of an effort is that, and what is the extent of the problem, and about how much are you putting into this in terms of cost? Dr. MUMFORD. I cannot give you off hand the volume of the material hat is being converted. I know that our Prints and Photographs Division has nitrate negatives that must be converted for preservaon purposes. We could supply figures for the record on that. Mr. STEED. If you would. Dr. MUMFORD. Unless Mr. Berry can supply them now. 31-479-69-7 |