ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


448 /  C&RL News

WASHINGTON
HOTLINE

Carol C. Henderson (202) 547-4440; (ALA0025)
Deputy Director, ALA Washington Office

House passage of the FY 1989 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill (HR 4587) was a 
testament to the power of library grassroots contacts with legislators. On May 19 the House re­
jected an attempt by Rep. Hank Brown (R-CO), with support by Rep. Frederick Upton (R-MI), 
to cut the Library of Congress budget. Legislative Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman 
Vic Fazio (D-CA), in arguing strenuously against the amendment, said: "We really do need to 
provide some relief, and the librarians across the country have asked us for this, and I know 
each of my colleagues have heard from them, and they will hear more if they are so inclined to 
vote for a reduction today."

The appeal by Reps. Fazio, Lindy Boggs (D-LA), and Mary Rose Oakar (D-OH) 
resulted in no roll call vote on the amendment, and its defeat on a voice vote. An amendment 
offered by Rep. Bill Frenzel (R-MN) to cut the bill across the board by 1.6 percent was 
defeated 184-211. The House went on to pass HR 4587 by 277-104, with no cuts to LC or 
GPO.

At hearings in March, ALA President Margaret Chisholm pointed out that in the last 
five years, LC funding increased only 6.5 percent, and promised a grassroots campaign of let­
ters. Those of you who responded obviously had an effect. Reps. Fazio, Boggs, and Oakar 
deserve thanks.

HR 4587 included a total of $256,883,000 (including $13,034,000 from receipts) for 
LC, a 3.6 percent increase over FY 1988. While less than the Library’s request of 
$274,198,000, it compares favorably with the Committee’s recommended 1.6 percent overall 
growth for the Legislative Branch.

The Library had wanted to double its preservation microfilming; the House approved 
about half the increase, and in House Report 100-621 directed LC "to enlist the aid of the Na­
tion’s research libraries and other libraries to determine the extent of the brittle book inventory, 
including its potential growth over the next 20 years, and to determine the goals for microfilm­
ing or otherwise preserving that inventory." HR 4587 as passed by the Senate on June 14 pro­
vides an additional $130,000 in preservation staffing, and $265,000 additional for microfilm­
ing. Both House and Senate approved L C ’s request to contract with the private sector for a 
mass deacidification facility, but not for a "sole source" technology solution.

On electronic government information, the House report said: "The Committee agrees 
with providing cost-effective methods of electronic dissemination of information to depository 
libraries such as CD-ROMS. Other methods, however, such as on-line access, which may in­
crease funding requirements, must be submitted to the Committee before being implemented.
In addition, a copy of the plan for the electronic dissemination of information to depository li­
braries which is being developed jointly by the GPO and the Joint Committee on Printing 
should be forwarded to the Committee when it is finalized."

For the Government Printing Office Superintendent of Documents operation, both bills 
provide $25,155,000, which includes $11,424,000 from the revolving fund from the sale of 
publications. SuDocs received $24,662,000 in FY ’88, and requested $26,800,000 for FY ’89.