Mr. CASEY. Do you have people waiting?

Mr. CURRAN. I believe we have a file of applicants for various jobs, but I wouldn't say we have qualified applicants available for each of these positions at least not to my knowledge.

STATUS OF NEW POSITIONS ALLOWED IN 1974 BUDGET

Mr. CASEY. You have some vacancies now in permanent positions. How about the new positions we gave you last year? Have they all been filled?

Mr. CURRAN. I can provide that answer for the record, but I don't have that available.

1 15 positions are being held vacant to allow placement of employees from the distribution of catalog cards who are to be transferred in a reduction-in-force from that activity.

2 6 positions are being held vacant pending congressional approval to establish them.

PROCESSING DEPARTMENT

Mr. CASEY. All right. Let's start with the new positions in the processing department. We will insert pages 29 through 34 of the justifications in the record.

[The pages follow:]

APPROPRIATION:

SALARIES AND EXPENSES, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PROCESSING
DEPARTMENT

Justification of new positions requested:

To expand the scope of machine-readable cataloging (MARC) to include catalog information for Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian, and German materials:

MARC Editorial Division:

The machine-readable cataloging (MARC) format, developed by the Library of Congress and used by the MARC editorial division, is a national and interna

tional standard that is central to a national bibliographic data base. The work of this division results in the conversion of standard LC cataloging data into machine-readable form through computer tapes which are sold on a subscription basis to over 60 primary users-libraries, library systems, and commercial service organizations primarily in the United States and Canada. These organizations in turn have over 1,000 secondary and tertiary subscribers. The MARC tapes are used for the selection, acquisition, and cataloging of library materials as well as providing machine access to bibliographic records for reference purposes. From 1969, when the regular MARC distribution service began, until the end of fiscal 1973, this division had built up a data base of 333,000 cataloging records, almost all of which were for English-language materials. In fiscal 1972 the conversion of audiovisual materials was begun. Beginning in fiscal 1973, the scope was expanded to include catalog information for French-language materials. The present request is to enable the division to expand its capacity to include the conversion of Library cataloging records for Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian, and German materials, estimated to amount to 41,000 records per year. This step will markedly enhance the value of the MARC data base to the Library of Congress and the usefulness of the MARC distribution service to the expanding community of libraries that benefit from the important acquisitions, cataloging, and reference assistance this service provides. To enable this division to broaden the scope of coverage to include the languages listed above, 23 positions are requested.

To prepare revised catalog cards to locate microfilm copies of brittle books: Catalog Management Division:

2 GS-5 card preparation assistants at $8,055_-Personnel benefits___.

2 positions_‒‒‒‒

$16, 110 1,369

17,479

Hundreds of thousands of volumes in the Library's collections have reached such an advanced stage of deterioration that they can be saved for future use only by microfilming and adding the microfilm copy to the microform reading room collection. This activity, which is coordinated by the preservation microfilming office in the administrative department, results in the preparation of revised sets of catalog cards reflecting the changes in the location and form of a microfilmed title. Present estimates place the fiscal 1975 workload of microfilming through the "brittle books" program at 13,000 titles representing 30,000 volumes. Two positions are requested in order to cope with this workload and to insure that proper bibliographic records for the microfilmed materials are prepared for filing into the Library's catalogs.

To achieve and maintain currency in the cataloging of Chinese material: Descriptive Cataloging Division:

2 GS-9 catalogers at $12,167Personnel benefits.

2 positions---

$24, 334

2, 069

26, 403

The acquisition of Chinese-language titles over the past several years has exceeded this division's cataloging capacity, contributing to an arrearage of approximately 60,000 books. During the recent past there have been indications that increased publishing has begun once aagin in the People's Republic of China. Area study and research organizations and libraries with strong oriental collections have urgently requested the Library to increase the number of Chinese-language titles cataloged and to hasten the availability of the catalog cards. In order to achieve and maintain currency in cataloging Chinese-language materials and to respond to increasing interest in such materials, two positions are requested. To develop the law classification (Class K) in the field of civil law and other foreign law systems:

Subject Cataloging Division:

2 GS-12 professional assistants (class K) at $17,479_ 1 GS-4 editorial clerk___.

Total_

Personnel benefits---

3 positions--

$34, 994 7, 198

42, 192 3,586

45, 778

The lack of a complete classification scheme for law library collections continues to be a problem for law libraries and their users. The eventual classification of both retrospective and current legal publications in the field of civil law and other foreign law systems will increase efficiency in the control and servicing of the Law Library's collections; it will also help meet the cataloging needs of the law libraries of the country which are increasingly relying upon the Library of Congress for law cataloging and classification. Since the inception of the Class K project in fiscal year 1952, the library has produced schedules for the law of the United States (KF) and the United Kingdom and Ireland (KD). Work on class K, the Generalia of Law (history, philosophy, comparative law, etc.), on class KE, the Law of Canada, and class KKC, the Law of Germany, has begun. The schedules for the rest of the legal systems of the world, however, must be begun. To respond to continued requests from the law library community, it is necessary that there be an acceleration in the development of the law schedules. Three positions are requested to begin examining the Library's holdings in the diverse legal systems and preparing logical schedules of classification useful to law libraries.

Mr. CASEY. You are requesting 30 new positions and an additional $336,775 for the processing department, is that correct?

Mr. WELSH. Yes, sir.

VACANCIES AND REDUCTION IN FORCE

Mr. CASEY. Any vacancies there now?

Mr. WELSH. Yes, sir, there are 34 vacancies in the processing department. Some of those we have delayed filling because of the reduction in force necessary in the card division. We will come to that later, but as the Librarian indicated in his opening remarks, we are abolishing 60 positions in the card distribution service because of the continuing decline in business. As vacancies were created in the processing department in the last several months, we have reserved some of them in the expectation that we could place staff affected by the reduction in force in the card division in these vacancies.

Mr. CASEY. On the basis of keeping track of personnel in the processing department, you are requesting 30 new positions.

Mr. WELSH. Yes, sir.

Mr. CASEY. You say you are going to abolish 60?

Mr. WELSH. These are 30 in the Processing Department generally, and we are going to abolish 60 jobs in the card distribution service, yes, .sir.

Mr. CASEY. Card distribution is not considered part of the Processing Department?

Mr. WELSH. It is, but it is under another appropriation head.

Mr. CASEY. Do you think possibly you will fill these 30 spots with some of these people?

Mr. WELSH. Yes; but not very many of them in all probability, because most of these jobs, as you can see, are highly specialized, however some of the vacancies we now have can be filled by the affected staff in the card division.

Mr. CASEY. To prepare revised catalog cards to locate microfilm copies of brittle books, you are requesting two positions.

Mr. WELSH. Yes, sir.

Mr. CASEY. How many do you have in there now?

Mr. WELSH. We have no permanent staff. We have one person on detail. We have never requested positions to perform this function. May I give a brief statement on each one of these?

Mr. CASEY. Why don't you do that.

Mr. WELSH. Processing Department, 30 new positions, 4 categories.

NEW POSITIONS FOR MARC PROGRAM

Twenty-three positions are needed to expand the scope of our machine-readable cataloging program (MARC) to include catalog information for Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian, and German materials. The present staff of 41 converts approximately 71,250 English language monographs, 6,750 French monographs, 8,800 films, and 13,200 other bibliographic records annually. This requested expansion will markedly enhance the value of the MARC data base to the Library of Congress and the usefulness of the MARC Distribution Service to the expanding community of libraries that benefit from the important acquisitions, cataloging, and reference assistance provided by the Library of Congress.

NEW POSITIONS FOR BRITTLE BOOKS PROGRAM

Two positions are needed to prepare revised catalog cards to locate microfilm copies of brittle books. Present estimates place the fiscal 1975 workload of microfilming through the "brittle books" program at 13,000 titles representing 30,000 volumes. One staff member now performing this function on a detailed basis is unable to cope with the increasing workload.

NEW POSITIONS FOR CATALOGING CHINESE MATERIALS

The third category identifying and responding to a question Mr. Flynt asked:

Two positions are needed to achieve and maintain currency in the cataloging of Chinese materials. The present staff of five is unable to process current receipts which are increasing, or reduce the backlog of some 60,000 books; 3,093 titles were cataloged in fiscal 1973. The projected output is 3,888 titles for fiscal 1974 whereas 1974 workload is about 5,000 titles and 1975 receipts are expected to be about 6,000.

NEW POSITIONS FOR CLASS K LAW PROGRAM

Three positions are needed to develop the classification, class K, in the field of civil law and other foreign law systems. Since 1952 the Library has produced classification schedules for the subclasses for the law of the United States-KF-and the United Kingdom and Ireland-KD. Preliminary work has been started on class K, the generalia of law-history, philosophy, comparative law, et ceteraon class KE, the law of Canada and class KKC, the law of Germany. In order to respond to continued requests from the law library community, it is necessary that there be an acceleration in the development of the law schedules.

Here are two examples of what we have done. I refer to the classification schedules for the United Kingdom and Ireland and to the law of the United States. These are two we have completed but we have got many, many more to go. We are asking for an increase in staff of three to accelerate this development.

REFERENCE DEPARTMENT

Mr. CASEY. The next category is the Reference Department, for which you are requesting 25 additional people and an additional $301,535. The justification is on pages 47 through 64. Let's put those pages in the record at this point.

[The pages follow:]

Justification of new positions requested to improve reference services of the

Prints and Photographs Division: GS-9 Reference librarian (1) -----

12, 167

Stack and Reader Division: GS-9 Reports collection librarian (1) ----- 12, 167

The Library has developed preeminent collections of research materials, but it lacks sufficient staff to provide the necessary reference service which would make the maximum use of these collections in order to serve scholars and other users. Many users require reference assistance since it is often difficult to identify the most appropriate material from among the vast holdings. Bibliographies and other finding aids are often inadequate or nonexistent. From among a number of areas in which additional specialized reference assistance is needed, the following positions represent the most urgent current needs.

One GS-12 reference librarian in charge of the main reading room reference collection is needed for the Public Reference Section of the General Reference and Bibliography Division. Work on this reference collection is now done on a part-time basis by regular staff of main reading room reference librarians. The quality and currency of the main reading room reference collection, the largest such collection in the Library, are highly important to researchers and LC staff, many of whom depend upon it constantly in their work. Staff members of the Congressional Research Service use it frequently to provide information and do research for the Congress. Reference librarians throughout the Library use it extensively to assist Government agencies, television and radio networks, the press, and libraries all over the United States. The available staff, however, lacks the time to give proper attention to the development of the reference collection. In fiscal 1975, furthermore, the Library hopes to publish a computer-generated catalog of the main reading room reference collection, a publication that will assume a conspicuous place in reference literature. Libraries throughout the Nation and the world will use it to develop their own reference collections. But before the catalog can be published, it must meet the Library's customary high editorial standards, and the quality of the work will depend on the comprehensiveness of the main reading room reference collection. To achieve the needed comprehensiveness, 11,500 monographs in the main reading room have been reviewed again and bibliographic searching and acquisitions work continues on serials to remove obsolete titles and obtain current ones. This collection must be continuously updated for maximum usefulness. All this requires a full-time reference collection specialist.

There are now 12 reference librarians in the Public Reference Section to serve two general reading rooms on a 78-hour-per-week schedule. No new position has been added for this work since fiscal 1961.