ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


December 1987 /  709

WASHINGTON 
HOTLINE

Carol C. Henderson
Deputy Director, ALA Washington Office

(202) 547-4440; (ALA0025)

Rep. Major Owens (D-NY) was the lead-off witness at a hearing October 29 
on his bill, HR 683, to require that the Librarian of Congress ”be appointed 
from among individuals who have specialized training or significant experience 
in the field of library and information science." The hearing was held by the 
Committee on House Administration Subcommittee on Libraries and Memorials. 
Chairman Mary Rose Oakar (D-OH) noted that her mother was a librarian and said 
librarians were "undervalued, underpaid, and underrecognized."

Rep. Oakar complimented Rep. Owens on his comprehensive statement in trac­
ing the history of LC leadership. Owens wished the new Librarian James Bil- 
lington "a long, happy, and productive tenure." He noted that over the years 
since LC’s founding in 1802, it has been transformed into the world’s premier 
library, yet the law remains unchanged and provides no guidance on qualifica­
tions. In contrast, the Solicitor General is required to be "learned in the 
law," and the Surgeon General is required to have "specialized training or 
significant experience in public health programs."

Owens felt the three Librarians of Congress with library training or sig­
nificant library experience--- Ainsworth Rand Spofford (1864-97), Herbert
Putnam (1899-1939), and L. Quincy Mumford (1954-74)---made the most signifi­
cant contributions to the Library’s development, and he listed their accom­
plishments and innovations. For the future, Owens said that federal informa­
tion policy should be coordinated by the Librarian of Congress, who must be an 
authoritative voice and a great communicator for information systems as well 
as for culture.

Also testifying were ALA President-elect F. William Summers, ARL President 
Herbert Johnson, and SLA President Emily Mobley. ALA strongly endorsed HR 
683. ARL and SLA suggested other qualifications were also important in the 
appointment of a Librarian of Congress.

Subcommittee member Bill Frenzel (R–MN) said he would hate to see criteria 
which fenced out such individuals as Daniel Boorstin and James Billington. He 
observed that Rep. Owens was concerned about information policy developments 
at agencies such as 0MB over which LC had no control.

Rep. Oakar, noting witnesses’ concern with the advancement of library and 
information science particularly as related to new technology, asked whether a 
special congressional committee could look at this rather than changing the 
law. ALA’s Bill Summers responded that LC’s role was a complex one in support 
of Congress as well as a leader in the development of information systems for 
the U.S. and the world. The issue can’t be once addressed and resolved, he 
said; it would be best to have Librarians who are knowledgeable in the library 
and information science field.



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