ACRL College & Researc Libraries News

COLLEGE & RESEARCH LIBRARIES

From Inside the DLP

By Dr. Katharine M. Stokes

College and University Library Specialist, Library Planning and Development Branch, Division of Library Programs, Bureau of Adult, Vocational, and Library Programs, U.S. Office of Education‚ Washington, D.C. 20202.

For those of you who are not avid readers of the Congressional Record, I would like to recommend the February ?, 1969, issue, pages H 823 to H 838, as very informative reading. On that date Congressman Reid of New York and Congressman Brademas of Indiana introduced HR 6535, The Higher Education Bill of Rights of 1969. Both Congressmen made statements of their own and then had read into the Record the text of the report ol the Carnegie Commission on the Future of Higher Education, “Quality and Equality: New Levels of Federal Responsibility for Higher Education,” popularly known by the name of the Commission’s Chairman, Dr. Clark Kerr.

The Kerr report recommended increased library support as follows:

“A basic goal of any college or university is its library. The current expansion of knowledge, with the resultant massive explosion in literature in all fields, has sharply increased the cost of even the minimal library for an undergraduate college. Major universities with their heavy emphasis on graduate education and research, face even greater increases in their annual library expenditures. The higher education law does provide support for college and research libraries, but the level of funding has been low. In 1966, although $50 million was authorized, only $10 million was appropriated. In 1967 and 1968 the appropriation was increased to $25 million. The commission recommends that the full authorization of $50 million be made available in 1970-71 and be increased to $100 million by 1976, and that libraries which serve a regional need be given a high priority for grants under this program.”

In introducing HR 6535 Congressman Reid stated that it implemented many of the recommendations of the Kerr report. He also stated that the bill was influenced by the Rivlin report and had read into the Record that report’s “Summary of Major Recommendations.” Dr. Alice Rivlin, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation of the Department of HEW, was appointed during Secretary Gardner’s incumbency to chair the advisory committee that prepared a document titled Toward a Long- Range Plan for Federal Financial Support for Higher Education. Just before President Johnson left office, HEW Secretary Wilbur J. Cohen submitted this report to him.

It is encouraging to find among the major recommendations of the Rivlin report under “Improving the Quality of Higher Education,” a mention of libraries, as follows:

“While it is difficult to define 'quality’ precisely in higher education, it is clear that increasing the effectiveness of the higher education offered to students necessitates increasing the resources available to institutions to attract qualified faculty and to improve facilities, libraries, and teaching methods.”

Congressman Reid’s comments on HR 6535 include a reference to another recommendation in the Rivlin report which would direct the Commissioner of Education “to make a study of the desirability of legislation consolidating various categorical programs of support for higher education.” The full text of that recommendation from the report is not included in the Congressional Record, but is quoted below because of its possible future implications for academic libraries.

“Over the next several years, categorical aid programs related to specific items should be consolidated whenever possible and the definition of categories should be broadened.

“Specifically, an institutional block grant program is recommended that would provide institutions with funds for any or all of the following purposes:

—Construction, renovation, and rental of any type of facility

—Establishment and improvement of library resources

—Acquisition of instructional equipment

—Funds for planning and evaluation of the functions and operations of the institution “This program should have a liberal Federal share of at least 50 percent, and adequate maintenance of effort provision, and should replace a series of existing categorical programs in the Office of Education.…”

Another issue of the Congressional Record of particular interest for community college librarians is the one for February 17, 1969, pp. S 1554--S 1558. On that day Senator Williams of New Jersey introduced the Comprehensive Community College Act of 1969, S 1033. The proportion of Title II-A (HEA) funds for college library resources distributed to community college libraries is noted in the Senator’s comments.

One final reference to the Congressional Record of March 12, 1969, pp. H 1658-H 1667, “The Report of President Nixon’s Task Force on Education,” will surely interest academic librarians as well as their institutional administrators.