The Library of Congress budget request for fiscal year 1993 totals $357.5 million (including $24.9 million in
authority to use receipts), an increase of nine percent over fiscal 1992. The budget objectives flow from the Library's
stated missions and values (see enclosure 1) and are designed to achieve our vision of the Library in the Year 2000-a
national library serving all Americans through modern technology. Cognizant of the current fiscal constraints, we have
limited our budget request to amounts necessary to provide the best possible research and reference services to the
Congress, to continue the reduction of unprocessed arrearages, to maintain our core services to the nation, and to
provide a relatively small investment for improving our capabilities in the area of science and technology information.
Overview of Library Services

The Library of Congress maintains a collection of approximately 100 million items -- many of them unique and
irreplaceable -- in over 450 languages. In addition to using this massive information resource the greatest repository of

knowledge in the history of the world -- for service to Congress, the Library also serves the courts, state and Federal agencies, libraries, elementary and secondary schools, colleges, research institutions, and businesses to help spur

1

creativity and productivity throughout the nation. Major Library of Congress services include:

► Congressional Services - provides impartial analytical research and information to the Congress on public
policy issues answering more than 500,000 Congressional requests a year.

► Cataloging Services - provides bibliographic records and related products to libraries and bibliographic
utilities in all 50 states and territories saving libraries in excess of $370 million annually in cataloging costs.
► Research and Reference Services - makes available to scholars and other researchers vast information
resources, many of which are unique, in virtually all formats, subjects, and languages -- serving over 900,000
readers and responding to more than 1.5 million information requests a year. Also provides on-line access to
automated information files containing more than 25 million records for Congressional offices, state libraries,
and libraries who are cooperative cataloging partners throughout the nation and responds to more than 35,000
requests a year for free interlibrary loan from every state in the nation.

► Copyright Services - administers U.S. copyright laws and actively promotes international protection for
intellectual property created by U.S. citizens -- processing more than 650,000 claims for copyright registration
and 380,000 requests for information annually.

► Blind and Physically Handicapped Services - manages a free national reading program for 700,000 blind
and physically handicapped people -- circulating more than 20 million discs, cassettes, and braille items a year
through 147 regional and subregional libraries and multistate centers.

Reading Promotion Services - promotes books, reading, and literacy through the Library's Center for the
Book and its 24 state affiliates and other Library educational programs and gives surplus books and serials to
libraries through a nation-wide donation program.

American Folklife Services - manages the nation's most important archival collection of folk music and
folklore, provides reference assistance to researchers and the general public, conducts field research, provides
consultative services, and promotes the preservation of folk culture throughout the U.S.

▸ Federal Library Services - coordinates Federal library programs for nearly 1,300 participating institutions administering an economical book, serial, and data base procurement program amounting to more than $50 million in reimbursements annually.

Major Accomplishments During Fiscal 1991

As a result of Congressional support, fiscal 1991 marked a turning point for the Library following several years of
declining budgets in terms of real purchasing value. By halting this erosion, the Library has begun to build a solid base
for future service to the Congress and the nation. Major accomplishments during fiscal 1991 include:

▸ Arrearage Reduction - In accordance with the Library's comprehensive arrearage plan, a reduction of almost
one million items was recorded during fiscal 1991, and the Library is on track with meeting its goal of an 11.3
million reduction by the end of a three year pilot period. These initial results follow an intensive nationwide
recruitment effort that culminated in filling all of the 164 arrearage-related positions authorized by Congress.
The Library is undertaking a variety of approaches to reduce arrearages by improving cataloging operations,
which will lead to permanent enhancements in the effectiveness and efficiency of processing materials for the
collections.

▸ Main Reading Room Reopening - Showing leadership in research services, the Library's main reading room
reopened on June 3, 1991, with its own specially-designed, user-friendly computer access terminals and printers,
facilities for laptop computers, and a CD-ROM network. More than 12,000 people attended a weekend open
house that marked the reopening, and researchers have heartily welcomed the new capabilities.

▸ Improved Copyright Services - With implementation of the Copyright Fees and Technical Amendments Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-318), the Copyright Office has put in place a new fee schedule and, with authority to use additional fees, hired and trained 30 additional people. This new staff contributed to the Copyright Office's success in reducing the amount of time it takes to process routine copyright claims from 12 weeks to six weeks.

111

Moving Treasures to the People - The Library's spectacular collections were shared with a broad public audience through major interpretive programs featuring exhibitions of Judaic Treasures (among the greatest in

iv

the world), the Rosenwald Collection (one of the world's most important and valuable collections of illustrated books), and the Bicentennial of the District of Columbia (including the original and digitized versions of L'Enfant's plan). The Judaic Treasures exhibit will travel to five sites, beginning in early 1993.

► Contributions to Education - The Library conducted an educators' institute on the Bill of Rights for
teachers and librarians from throughout the nation; distributed thousands of reference guides to schools and
libraries on scientific topics such as science fair projects, educational opportunities in the sciences, and African-
Americans in science; recruited more than 100 educational and civic organizations as participants in its "Year of
the Lifetime Reader" national reading promotion campaign; hosted winners of four national student reading
contests; and contributed to the nation's intellectual life through scholarly symposia, publications, and poetry
and literature programs.

► Preservation Improvements - The Library of Congress increased public awareness of the need to preserve
our Nation's film heritage by administering the National Film Preservation Act and worked with the
Government Printing Office and the National Archives and Records Administration in promoting the use of
alkaline paper as mandated by P.L. 101-423.

► Support for Emerging Parliamentary Institutions - The Library provided extensive support for
Congressional initiatives to assist Eastern European countries in the development of parliamentary institutions.
Overview of Fiscal 1993 Budget Request

The Library's fiscal 1993 request represents an increase of $29.4 million (including $1.6 million in new
receipts), nearly two thirds of which ($18.6 million) is required to meet mandatory cost changes in personnel
compensation and benefits and price-level changes in costs for existing levels of service. Other major elements of the

increase include: