tions, Occupational Outlook Handbook, the Congressional Record and Index, Monthly Catalog, et cetera. This library system budgets approximately $3,000 annually to purchase GPO publications. Abrupt, sharp price increases in our routine ordering experience with GPO over the past 6 months suggest we will need to triple this budget next year to keep pace with the increases. Many libraries have indicated that they will have to cut down on the number of Government publications they now purchase from GPO, because their own budgetary constraints will not allow them to increase their book budgets sufficiently to meet the new price increases. Others have indicated that they must have the Government publications to serve their patrons and will necessarily cut back on their purchase of trade publications instead. Attached to this statement are some brief descriptions from libraries of the adverse effects caused by the sharply increased prices now charged by GPO. Postal rate increases Since the Postal Reorganization Act, sharply increased postal rates have continually plagued libraries. Unlike many other users of the mails, libraries have no way of passing higher postal charges on to their patrons, since libraries make no charge for their services. They must offset higher postage costs by reducing other expenditures, which almost aways means that they purchase fewer books, subscriptions, and other library materials for the use of their patrons. In a statement concerning the increase in Government documents prices, the Public Documents Department of GPO attributed the higher prices in part to greatly increased postal rates. As a result of the Postal Reorganization Act, the Government Printing Office now pays the same postage charges as unsubsidized private users will eventually pay rather than the substantially smaller charges previously assessed. Private mailers are authorized 5 years in which to reach the postage rates of mailings that Government agencies including GPO were required to begin paying immediately. The American Library Association urges the House Appropriations Committee to favorably consider giving GPO a substantial subsidy to offset postage costs for mailing Government documents to public libraries and other nonprofit libraries accessible to the public. Backlog of orders The Office of Superintendent of Documents has made a major effort in the past year to reduce the time required to fill orders, and it appears that progress is being made to reach its target of 21 days for processing, packaging, and mailing orders. Nevertheless, many problems still remain in the filling of orders not only from libraries but from members of the public who purchase their own copies of Government documents. Depository library program The American Library Association strongly supports the depository program and in the interest of providing the widest possible public access to U.S. Government information on the local level, urges additional financial support for the depository system. Particularly, the association requests that additional funds be provided during fiscal year 1975 to enable the Superintendent of Documents to make prompt delivery of books and pamphlets to depository libraries throughout the Nation, to provide more adequate inspection of depository libraries, and to carry out the program authorized by the 1962 Depository Library Act of bringing more non-GPO U.S. Government publications into the depository program. Inadequate funding has prevented this non-GPO section of the law from being implemented in little more than a token way. Expressing, concern that the program has not been carried out to any significant extent, the Council of the American Library Association adopted a resolution at its midwinter meeting in January 1974, requesting appropriations for the Superintendent of Documents for additional personnel and resources in order to add new Federal agencies to the depository program. A copy of the resolution is attached to this statement. In conclusion, we very much appreciate this opportunity to present the views of the American Library Association on fiscal year 1975 appropriations for the Library of Congress and the Office of the Superintendent of Documents. SOME RESPONSES FROM LIBRARIES ABOUT PRICE INCREASES AT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE-MARCH 1974 A public library in New Hampshire We may not purchase the Federal Reserve Bulletin and the Commerce Business Daily as planned. The cost increase will prevent us from providing documents which our patrons have requested. A college library in Ohio the Monthly Weather Review, which has been dropped by GPO, is to be published by American Meteorological Society at $60 a year. We have been receiving it on depository. We are going to drop it. (GPO's price was $19.) An academic library in Oklahoma The likely effects of the new GPO price increases will be a cutback in the number of documents purchased. Those eliminated will probably be some periodical subscriptions. Unfortunately they are important to a research library. A college library in Pennsylvania The requests from our Economics Department for GPO items have increased *** With the increased prices we won't be able to take care of the normal requests, let alone the increased volume. We might have to cut down on trade publications to pay for government items we absolutely must have. A university library in Texas We will no longer purchase duplicate copies of such publications as the Monthly Catalog, the Government Organization Manual, or the Zip Code Directory. (This library serves about 5,000 students and faculty.) A public library in West Virginia The price increases will force us to reduce the number of documents purchased, perhaps by 50 to 75 percent. We should make more United States documents available to our patrons rather than less. * * * Decisions based on fact and not fic tion are essential to a free and democratic society. A public library in Ohio In a time when the free flow of information is essential to the nation, the prohibitive costs of government publications will indeed be a detriment to this community, this State and to the whole country. A college library in Georgia The price increases may force a reduction by as much as 25 percent in the number of documents purchased. As we are currently having a budget crisis here, the increase in prices is going to catch us in the middle. AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, Whereas the Depository Library Act of 1962 provides for the Superintendent of Documents to secure publications printed outside of the Government Printing Office in order to distribute them to selecting depositories ; Whereas many of these publications are of value to a number of the depository libraries in the country; Whereas the Government Printing Office has not added new agencies to the non-GPO program during the past 5 years; therefore be it Resolved, That the American Library Association urge the Superintendent of Documents to ask for appropriations for additional personnel and resources in order to add new agencies to the program. Adopted by ALA Council January 25, 1974. INDEX Page Appendix Library of Congress-Study of decision factors in Planning Division 921 921 927 Library Buildings and Grounds, structural and mechanical care. 804 Positions General Accounting Office_. Acquisition of Providence Hospital site.. James Madison Memorial Library__ Modifications and enlargement of Capitol Powerplant_. Parking for congressional employees--- Restoration of Old House Chamber_. Restoration of Old Senate and Supreme Court Chambers___ Security system---- Summary statements___ Cost Accounting Standards Board----- Federal Personnel and Compensation Division--- 653 653 654 658 656, 657 650 647 652 655 415 429 564 |