Federal Funds in Governance of Local Library Institutions: A Reappraisal

-of federal funds for local libraries must include some judgment on its impact. The impact of federal dollars on local library institutions-the word local here refers to any political jurisdiction below the federal level, i.e. region, state, county, municipality-reveals no clear pattern. In fact, with few exceptions, the literature is practically nonexistent on this issue. There are, of course, numerous published statements on the necessities of federal support; however, these tend to make the unsubstantiated assertion that, on balance, the role of the federal government has been essential to the development of library services. The central questions relevant to the federal government’s role in sup-porting libraries were asked by President Lyndon Johnson in an executive order issued in 1966. As a result of the order, the National Advisory Com-mission on Libraries was created to answer, among others, the following questions: Are our federal efforts to assist libraries intelligently adminis-tered, or are they too fragmented among separate programs and agencies? Are we getting the most benefit from the taxpayer’s dollar spent? The commission was to assist the president’s committee on libraries to: a. make a comprehensive study and appraisal of the role of libraries...as components of the evolving national information system; b. appraise the policies, programs, and practices of public agencies, and private institutions and organizations, together with other factors, which have a bearing on the role and effective utilization of libraries; c. appraise library funding, including federal support of libraries, to determine how funds available for the construction and support o