Processing Department-Continued Subject Catalog Division: 1 P-2, $2,600, subject cataloger and classifier in social science. 1 P-1, $2,000, junior subject cataloger and classifier in physical sciences and technology. Administrative Department: 1 CAF-5, $2,000, to be in charge of the Pay Roll Section, Personnel Office. 1 CAF-4, $1,800, clerk to supervise files, Secretary's office. 1 SP-4, $1,620, nurse, first-aid room. 1 CU-3, $1,200, messenger, Mail and Delivery Service. Total, 25 positions, $45,640. NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES Mr. O'NEAL. At the present time, how many actual positions do you have under this item in 1942? Mr. CLAPP. Under "Salaries, Library proper," there are 676.5 positions. Mr. O'NEAL. And under the revised estimates, you are asking for how many? Mr. CLAPP. We are asking for 25 new positions. BIBLIOGRAPHY DIVISION Mr. MACLEISH. The first increase we are asking for is on page 8 of the justification, as follows: NEW POSITION REQUESTED One P-1, $2,000, junior bibliographer to assist in compilation of bibliographies: The staff of the Bibliography Division consists of 8 persons. This number has received an increase of one in the past 38 years. The duties of this Division are to prepare lists of references in response to Members of Congress and others, and to prepare replies and give information with regard to questions involving bibliography. These lists are mimeographed and are listed in the Public Affairs Information Service and in other places, which leads to a considerable public demand for them. The work of the Division facilitates that of the Legislative Reference Service, as well as that of other units of the Library, many agencies of the Government, and other libraries generally. The work of the Division has increased over the past 3 years alone as indicated by the following table: Mr. O'NEAL. You are asking for new positions in the Bibliography Division. Mr. MACLEISH. Yes, sir; there we are asking for one P-1 position, at $2,000, and the justification there, so far as the history of it is concerned Mr. O'NEAL (interposing). You are not asking for the junior clerktypist for that Division? Mr. MACLEISH. No, sir. The Bibliographical Division has had only one new position in 38 years, and that was allowed 4 years ago. The duties of the Division have increased considerably. It is called upon at this time for bibliographies more than at any other period.. For example, it has recently issued a bibliography of General MacArthur. There is considerable use made of this Division throughout the Government service, and the Division is working under great pressure. Mr. O'NEAL. These bibliographies are prepared upon request? Mr. MACLEISH. Yes, sir; they are prepared on request, and, also, where we see the need for them. Mr. O'NEAL. Is that work increasing? DOCUMENTS DIVISION Mr. O'NEAL. You asked for four new positions in the Documents Division, but now you are simply asking for the same number that you have? Mr. MACLEISH. Yes, sir; the next new position appears at page 17 of the justification. Mr. O'NEAL. You asked for four new positions in the Documents. Division, but, as I understand it, they are now out? Mr. MACLEISH. Yes, sir; they are out. Mr. O'NEAL. Do you care to make any statement about the work of the Documents Division? Mr. MACLEISH. We are in the midst of an attempt to operate that in a more orderly way, and when we come here next time, I think we will have a story about the Documents Division which will be interesting. For the moment, we can carry along with the same. staff. Mr. O'NEAL. The work is just more than it has been? Mr. MACLEISH. Yes, sir. FINE ARTS DIVISION Mr. O'NEAL. You are asking for a new position in the Fine Arts Division. Mr. MACLEISH. No, sir; we are not now asking for that SP-5 position. We have been asking that for 3 years, but we think we can struggle along without it. Mr. O'NEAL. You refer to this as a relief project. Mr. MACLEISH. It was gift money. Mr. O'NEAL. You make the statement in the justifications, that "It was formed as a result of a relief project administered by the Derartment of the Interior." Dr. EVANS. They turned that material over to us. The administration of it was never under appropriated funds, but it was always under gift money. Mr. MACLEISH. That item is out. Mr. O'NEAL. You want the same situation to continue? Mr. MACLEISH. Yes, sir. This would be like the situation Judge Leavy asked about, where we have moved material from some divisons. Some of the people employed in the staffs affected by the moving will now be available to perform some other regular tasks. MAPS DIVISION Mr. O'NEAL. The next is the Maps Division. Are these State maps, or does the collection include old county maps? Mr. MACLEISH. Yes, sir. It is a magnificent collection of maps, not only of topographical interest, but of historical interest. That new position is out. MUSIC DIVISION Mr. O'NEAL. The next is the Music Division. Mr. MACLEISH. We are not asking for any increase there. Mr. O'NEAL. What about the use of this Music Division during the war period? Mr. MACLEISH. It is playing a very important role. It has been called upon by the Morale Division of the Army especially for work. You will recall that last year they were preparing the Army Songbook. We are proud of what they have done. I think we can carry that work on with the present staff with a somewhat modified service to the public. Mr. O'NEAL. You spoke of Army music: What was that? Mr. MACLEISH. That is a songbook. Mr. O'NEAL. Did your staff prepare it? Mr. MACLEISH. I think we can say that we prepared it. Mr. O'NEAL. It is a book of Army songs? Mr. MACLEISH. Yes, sir. Dr. EVANS. The Army published it, but we did most of the work. ORIENTALIA DIVISION-INDIA AND SOUTHEASTERN ASIA Mr. O'NEAL. The next item is for the Orientalia Division. Mr. MACLEISH. Under the Orientalia Division, we have several sections. Mr. O'NEAL. Which ones do you still ask for on page 17? As I understand it, the one CAF-2 position goes out? Mr. MACLEISH. One goes out, and the other three are in as follows: SECTION OF THE MIDDLE EAST AND SOUTHEASTERN ASIA (NEW PROJECT) One P-4, $3,800, chief of section; one P-3, $3,200, expert on Southeastern Asia; one SP-5, $1,800, reference assistant. A project for the development of Indic studies has been established in the Library since 1938 under a grant of funds secured through the American Council of Learned Societies, and staffed by a director and an assistant. This project has succeeded, in this very short time, in creating a center for these studies in the Library of Congress. Through preparation of bibliographies, a microfilm project, the establishment of contacts in India and in the United States, cataloging of the Library's existing collections, solicitation of gifts, and the creation of a special subject catalog, it has succeeded in exerting a coordinating influence on the whole field covered by these studies. It is proposed to establish in the Orientalia Division a permanent section devoted to information concerning India and Southeastern Asia. The justification for this proposal is the accentuated need for reliable information concerning these parts of the world, for organization of sources of such information, and for the availability of experts able to make use of these sources. Since the outbreak of the war, this need, which had been growing, has, of course, shown a marked increase. Government agencies require information regarding Indochina, the Malay Peninsula, Philippine Islands, Burma, New Guinea, etc., they require the services of experts who can read the languages of these countries, and they require literature from which the information can be obtained. No library in the United States has developed services and collections for this area. In regard to those three, the situation is this: There never has been adequate attention given in this country to the books, manuscripts, and other Library material published in any part of Asia except China. We have given a certain amount of attention to Persian material, but have generally disregarded Indic material, and material from the southeastern Asiatic area. We have had on the staff at the Library of Congress, but paid from funds of the American Council of Learned Societies, an expert on Indic studies, who has recently completed a trip to India which was very fruitful, and the reason for requesting these three new positions is for setting up a new project. There has been a great increase of interest in India, and all that part of the world as a result of the war. The demand for that information is such that we cannot meet it with our present staff. Mr. O'NEAL. Is this for research or for practical use? Mr. MACLEISH. It is a combination of both. Mr. O'NEAL. Are you being called upon for this, or is it just anticipating a need? Mr. MACLEISH. We are being called upon for it. A part of it is the actual present demand, and a part of it is anticipatory. Mr. STEFAN. Who is calling for it? Dr. EVANS. I can give you specific information on that. The Coordinator of Information asks for that material. There is a considerable demand for material about Thailand since the Japanese invasion, and about the whole Malay Peninsula area and Dutch East Indies. We have that demand from the Coordinator of Information and also from the Intelligence Divisions of the Army and Navy. They need that material in connection with the war strategy. We have a heavy demand and a pitifully weak collection. Mr. O'NEAL. Is there any library in the United States that does this. other than the Library of Congress, that you know of? Mr. MACLEISH. There are other libraries somewhat active in this field. The American Council of Learned Societies has backed this activity in the Library and put money into it, because they felt it was not being done elsewhere. Mr. LEAVY. This is a new project in the Library? Mr. MACLEISH. Yes, sir. Mr. LEAVY. And will require only the three persons you enumerate there to operate it, or will it need to be expanded in order to render the service you contemplate? Mr. MACLEISH. We estimate we can do what is needed, or what it is possible to do, with a staff of three. If we could lay our hands on ail of the materials that we should have, the staff would perhaps have to be greater, but the amount of material available is limited. Mr. LEAVY. How do you justify setting up a new project in a period of extreme economy in civil functions? Mr. MACLEISH. Only on the basis of the failure of American scholarship to tackle this problem before, and the writing on the wall obviously means not only the scholars but the strategists are going to be turning to the southwestern Pacific area over the next many months. Mr. LEAVY. It is your thought this does have a practical value at his time with world conditions as they are? Mr. MACLEISH. I think, it has very great practical value. By reason of the visit of Chiang Kai-shek to India, it has increased remendously in importance in the actual strategy of the war and the reactions of the Indian people, and India suddenly becomes one of the in problems in the world strategic field, and one of the elements. of the problem is the cultural habits, mentality, and so forth, of the 69377-42-3 Indian people; and there are not in America any organized collections of the materials necessary for the study of these problems. Mr. O'NEAL. Where do you get your material, and what material have you? Mr. MACLEISH. We secured a very considerable amount of material as the result of the visit of our Indic expert in India. Would you like him to give you an account of the material that is available, or readily procurable? Mr. O'NEAL. Briefly. Mr. MEARNS. I can supply that later, but I know we have been buying within recent months a lot of material in the Indic field from England. Mr. O'NEAL. Put some sort of statement in the record as to the amount of material you have to work on, and how you secure the material to work with. Mr. MEARNS. Yes, sir. (The statement referred to is as follows:) INDIC MATERIALS IN THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS In July 1940 roughly about 25,000 items relating to India and the countries of Greater India existed in the Library, including all serial items. Items received from July 1940 to June 1941: (a) 1,881 including 500 manuscripts. (b) 600 feet of microfilm; 250 feet of motion pictures; 57 recordings. Items received since July 1941: (a) 1,300 including 57 manuscripts. (b) 2 daily newspapers. (c) About 10,000 feet of microfilm comprising 427 items; 2 daily papers from Siam from January 1939 to November 1941; several serial publications. An account of important additions to this collection is found on pages 95 and 96 of the Librarian's Annual Report for 1941. Materials are received by purchase, but more especially by gift and exchange, as the result of the visit made to India by the Director of the Project for the Development of Indic Studies in 1940. Mr. O'NEAL. Doctor, I understand you have had funds given by the American Council of Learned Societies. Do you still have those funds? Mr. MACLEISH. Those funds were preliminary funds and they were provided with the very definite understanding that we would try to make this a regular part of the Library, as we were convinced it should be. Mr. LEAVY. Will this have any value in the post-war period? Mr. LEAVY. I am not now referring to the cultural value but the commercial value. Mr. MACLEISH. I cannot imagine it is going to end with the end of the war. It will make the study of Asia, the Asian peoples, of Asian history, and Asian mentality and habits tremendously important to all of us. Mr. O'NEAL. Have you any of these funds coming to you in 1943 from the American Council of Learned Societies? Mr. MACLEISH. No, sir. Those funds terminated as of last October. |