ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 222 / C & R L N e w s WASHINGT ON HOTLINE Carol C. Henderson Deputy Director, ALA Washington Office (202) 547-4440; (ALA0025) Going to ACRL in Cincinnati? Don’t miss this exciting program developed by the ACRL Legislation Committee. Title: "National Information Policy, Your Library, and Your Users: Information Access Issues and Actions." Date & Time: Wednesday, April 5, 1989, 2:45-3:45 p.m., Room 253, Convention Center. Speakers: "The White House Conference and National Information Policy: The Role of the Academic Community," Susan Martin, Executive Director, National Commission on Libraries and Information Science; "Informing the Nation: The Academic Li­ brarian’s View," D. Kaye Gapen, Dean of Libraries, University of Wisconsin, Madison; "A Legislator’s Perspective on National Information Policy," Rep. Pat Williams (D-MT), House Postsecondary Education Subcommittee; "How Academic Librarians Can Get Involved in Legislative Activities," Hiram L. Davis, Dean, University Libraries, New Mexico State Univer­ sity, and Chair, Legislative Network Subcommittee of the ACRL Legislation Committee. Moderator: Ruth J. Patrick, Dean of Library Services, University of Montana, and Chair, Pro­ gram Subcommittee, ACRL Legislation Committee. Statistics form reminder. Only 56 percent of U.S. postsecondary institutions have returned library survey forms due last November 15 to the National Center for Education Statistics. As part of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Survey, NCES mailed the library survey forms to the person on your campus designated by your institution’s president to receive the IPEDS package. The IPEDS surveys are the most official, basic data existing on academic libraries. Libraries were emphasized in Congress’ most recent reauthorization of NCES, and the disbursement of federal funds through programs such as HEA II-A library resource grants depends on the IPEDS library data. ACRL requested that the Office of Management and Budget approve a two-year (rather than a four-year) cycle for academic library surveys, and OMB agreed. Whether the two-year schedule continues and whether results will be available in time to be useful depends on prompt and widespread response. Action needed. ACRL is cooperating with NCES on the survey and urges your cooperation. Check it out and make sure your library survey form is completed and returned. Forms returned promptly still will be welcomed by NCES. Permanent paper. Sen. Claiborne Pell (D-RI) introduced SJ.Res. 57 on February 8 to establish a national policy to promote and encourage the printing of books and other publica­ tions of enduring value on alkaline, permanent papers. Sen. Pell was joined by 19 cosponsors: Sens. Moynihan, Murkowski, Sarbanes, Grassley, McCain, DeConcini, Ford, Kennedy, Exon, Sanford, Heflin, Lieberman, Stevens, Simon, Dodd, Warner, Chafee, Hatch and Graham. The measure, except for a few minor, non-substantive changes, is identical to S.J.Res. 395 intro­ duced late in the last Congress. In his introductory remarks, Sen. Pell noted that the technology exists to implement this national policy. More than 30 U.S. paper mills already produce alkaline papers, and incentives for others to convert include potentially lowered manufacturing costs and substantially reduced environmental pollution. In addition, prices for alkaline papers are now comparable. The (continued on page 255) March 1989 / 223 Ninety years and still trying Some things never change? In the fight against the poor quality of paper used in library materials, apparently not. The following quote is from the Report of the L ib rarian of Congress, printed in the Message fro m the President o f the United States to the Tw o Houses o f Congress, published in 1899 u n ­ der the McKinley Administration. “The attention of Congress has been called to the questionable quality of the paper upon w hich so m uch of the L ibrary m aterial is printed. The same criticism m ay apply to the p ap er used in other forms of G overnm ent records, although w ith th a t w e have only a m inor concern. The deleterious process in the m aking of modern paper, arising es­ pecially from cheapness, and the wood pulp and chemicals used, in the interests of economy, de­ stroy its texture and durability. W e have in our Li­ brary p rinted journals going back to the tim e of C h a rle s I I , o v er 230 y ears o ld , th e p a p e r as staunch, the ink as clear, as w hen they cam e from the press. Under m odern conditions of paper m an ­ ufacture, the press sending forth from day to day so m uch th a t is perishable—newspapers crum bling in the readers’ hands—the question m ay well arise, as affecting not only our ow n, b u t all m odern li­ braries, as to how m uch of our collections will be­ come useless because of the deterioration and disin­ tegration of the pap er used in the cheaper forms of literature. “The Prussian Governm ent having taken up the question, so far as it affected the integrity of G er­ m a n re c o rd s, th e L ib ra r y has been e n a b le d , through the kindness of our American embassy in Berlin, to obtain a copy of the Prussian regula­ tions.... “W hile this im portant question m ight readily come under Governm ent control, nothing being m ore essential th an the physical integrity of the n a­ tional archives, so far as the L ibrary is concerned a rem edy could be found under the operation of the copyright law . An am endm ent th a t no copyright should issue until articles in printed form should be printed on paper of a fixed grade w ould rem edy the evil, so fa r as th e im p o rta n t lib raries are con­ cerned. There w ould be no trouble to the publisher beyond the cost of a few special sheets of paper and a slight delay in the presswork; and w hen the value of the franchise involved in a copyright is rem em ­ bered the guaranty thus exacted as to the quality of the paper would be slight retu rn for the privilege. E xtra cost of those special sheets would be cheer­ fully borne by the libraries, and in the end become to the publisher a profit rath er th an a loss.” O ur great-grandparents m ade a bid for perm a­ nent paper in 1899; perhaps our generation can m ake some progress by 1999?—GME. ■ ■ News from the Field Acquisitions • The L ibrary of Congress, W ashington, D .C ., has acquired the collections of the National T rans­ lations C enter (NTC) from the John C rerar Li­ brary of the University of Chicago. NTC is an in­ te rn a tio n a l depository and re fe rra l cen ter for helping users locate unpublished translations of foreign-language literature in the n atural, physi­ cal, medical, and social sciences. Its files contain inform ation on the w hereabouts of approximately 1,000,000 translations, including 400,000 full-text translations held directly by the center. The trans­ fer is being m ade to strengthen the activities of the NTC by collocating it w ith the collections of the L i­ brary of Congress. The L ibrary has also acquired the papers of Ar­ m and H am m er, 90, board C hairm an of Occiden­ tal Petroleum Corporation. H am m er’s career has spanned most of the 20th century and includes con­ tacts w ith most of the Soviet leadership from Lenin to G o rb a ch e v ; all A m erican P resid en ts since Hoover; and numerous other w orld leaders. C orre­ spondence in the collection includes letters from Lenin, as well as items relating to H am m er’s strong support for Roosevelt’s foreign policy on the eve of W orld W ar II; his involvement in post-w ar famine relief; and his efforts to help resolve U.S.-U.S.S.R. tensions regarding detente, the state of Israel, the plight of Jewish refuseniks, the release of journalist Nick Daniloff, and the conflict in Afghanistan. The collection also includes an extensive am ount of m i­ crofiche containing replicas of personal letters, dating back as early as 1825, w ritten by prom inent 19th- and 20th-century artists such as John Consta­ ble, R em brandt Peale, Winslow H om er, and John March 1989 / 255 with emerging information technologies and their application to library services. Strong commitment to responsive and innovative services. Preferred: Background in the sciences and/or science reference experience. The University: North Carolina State University is located in Raleigh within the Research Triangle. This region of North Carolina contains one of the nation’s premier concentrations of academic, corporate, and public research. The area offers outstanding opportunities for professional growth and an exceptional quality of life. Salary and Benefits: 1) Librarian for Professional Development & Education, minimum $35,000; 2) Assistant Head of Reference, minimum $26,000. Librarians at NCSU have academic status without tenure or faculty rank. Benefits include: 24 days vacation; health, dental, life, legal, and disability insurance; state retirement. Tuition waiver program for all 16 campuses o f the University of North Carolina available. Application Process: The Librarian for Professional Development & Education position is available July 1, 1989; the Assistant Head of the Reference Department is available immediately. The review of applications for both positions will continue until the positions are filled. Interested candidates should send a resume and the names and addresses of three current, confidential references to: 1) Chair, Professional Development Librarian Search Committee or 2) Chair, Reference Search Committee, Office of Personnel Services, Box 7111, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC 27695-7111. North Carolina State University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. (Washington H otline, cont’d) measure should im pose no significant costs on the federal government, and should reduce fu- uture preservation costs. Sen. Pell appended to his statement the resolution o f support by ALA (CD #37, 1988-89, adopted January 11) as well as a letter o f support from the Association of Research Libraries. A ction needed. Additional cosponsors are needed to move the legislation through the process this year. Especially important are members of the Governmental Affairs Committee, to which S.J.Res. 57 will be referred. Urge your Senators to sign on as cosponsors o f S.J.Res. 57. Thank those w ho have already done so. Budget. The final Reagan Administration budget for federal library programs, since endorsed by President Bush, requests funds equal to current year funding of $137.2 million for the Library Services and Construction Act and the Higher Education Act title II. However, the fiscal year 1990 request is predicated on passage o f legislation to be proposed later which would repeal the existing LSCA and HEA II. Such legislation was submitted to Congress last spring as the proposed Library Improvement Act with total funding o f $76 million. Congress took no action on the proposal, which now apparently will be resubm itted with a higher author­ ization level. M eanwhile, congressional appropriations committees must base funding actions on the existing LSCA and HEA II, and authorizing committees must act to extend LSCA this year. A reauthorization hearing focusing on the accomplishments of LSCA is expected to be held on April 11, which is also Library Legislative Day in W ashington, D.C.