a Title V addressed to special needs of urban libraries. The declaration of purpose in the proposed amendment is stated as follows:1

In recognition of the serious financial distress of
large urban public libraries, the Congress hereby
declares it to be the policy of the United States to
provide financial assistance to such libraries for
the purchase of books and other library materials.
Large urban public libraries are a critical part of
the nation's information and cultural resources, and
as such are deemed to be vital for the educational,
cultural and economic development of this country.
Balanced intergovernmental funding is, therefore,
essential at the local, state and federal levels in
order to achieve the content and quality of public
library services for the citizens of the United States.

The amendment would provide additional funds to public libraries in cities of over 100,000 population.

Interestingly, the amend

ment stipulates that these funds would pass through the state library agency and would be distributed on a per capita basis. Whether or not this proposed amendment will be adopted remains a question, but it is a recognition of the special problems faced by large urban public libraries.

Criteria for Evaluating LSA-LSCA as a Funding Mechanism

Although the LSA-LSCA program is 20 years old and has expended over $700 million since 1957, there has not been any continuing comprehensive evaluation of the program by HEW. As a result, there are conflicting views about its successes and failures and confusion about its impact on public library services nationwide.

Working Draft of Proposed LSCA Title V (dated 7/18/76) provided by ALA.

Any effort to assess the program should take note of its major claims and criticisms. This section is based on an examination of a selection of principal critiques and statistics about the program viewed in terms of the following criteria:

1. Federal support of library services underpins state
and local library programs and is a stimulator, i.e.,
it provides "seed money" to assist states in developing
and sustaining adequate library services. The Federal
support should be related to state and local needs and
should be assured from year to year.

2. Federal support should not be used as a replacement for
state support, but rather as a stimulus for additional
state appropriations for library service development and
improvement. Thus, a primary emphasis in Federal-state
funding systems should be the development of library
services for the unserved and the inadequately served

and the elimination of service and service cost disparities. 3. Federal support should stimulate and guide the determination of measurable objectives and performance standards based on output measures. This should permit continuing evaluation to demonstrate program impact and achievement of purpose.

4. Federal support should engender strong, coordinative linkages within and among public library systems, and to the extent possible, between public library systems and all other types of library services. The goal here is to improve both access and quality of library services to all citizens at equitable costs distributed strategically

among the various levels of government.

Strengths and Weaknesses of LSCA

The Federal Government's investment in public libraries, beginning in 1956, was viewed as a major impetus to State support and planning for library services nationwide. As the figures in Table 8 show, Federal support has in fact increased significantly over the succeeding twenty-year period.

Beginning in 1957 with an appropriation of $2,050,000, the Congress gradually increased LSA aid to $7,500,000 in 1961 and maintained that level of assistance through 1964. With enactment of LSCA the appropriation was increased $55 million in 1965

and 1966, and to $76 million in 1967. From 1967 on, the annual appropriation was increased or decreased by substantial amounts. Funding for the construction program under LSCA Title II was eliminated in 1973 and never reinstituted. In the ten year period, 1966-76, the appropriations were maintained at the same level for only 1969 and 1970, and again for 1975 and 1976. Congressional override, on September 30, 1976, of President Ford's veto of the Departments of Labor and HEW appropriations bill (HR14232) provided a substantial increase in LSCA funding for FY1977 at $60,237.000.

Although Federal aid to libraries represents only about five percent of the nation's library expenditures, Federal support is viewed as having a substantial impact on the development and improvement of public library services. In his paper

Sources:

Data for 1957 through 1975 are from Robert W. Frase,

The Future of Federal Categorical Library Programs, March 5, 1975, Table B. Data for 1976 and 1977 is from the Washington

Office of American Library Association.

Newsletter.)

(ALA October 5, 1976

on the future of Federal categorical library programs, Robert Frase says, "Public library services have unquestionably been greatly extended and improved, using the funds appropriated under Title I. Since public libraries have traditionally been created and financed primarily by local governments, the quality and even the very existence of public library services has varied greatly, not only between states but within states as well. The Library Services and Construction Act was designed to deal directly with this problem by requiring state plans for coordinated programs designed to meet the needs of all the citizens of each state. The state library agencies have been greatly expanded as a result of the Act, and called into existence where they did not exist before. Systems of libraries have been created to provide

Interlibrary loan

better service through cooperative action. networks have been established on a state basis. State statutes have come into existence, establishing goals and standards for public library services and authorizing state appropriations."

1

The uncertainty of Federal support from year to year and the absence of adequate technical assistance and guidance by Federal agencies have weakened the potential impact of Federal aid.

1

Robert W. Frase, The Future of Federal Categorical Library
Programs, March 5, 1975