The Impact Of Federal Legislation On School Libraries

Not too many years ago a dream was born in the Hotel Congressional in Washington when the ALA Committee on Legislation invited a few public, school, and college librarians, and consultants from the Library Services Branch of the U. S. Office of Education, to meet with the Committee to discuss the Nation's library needs and how the Federal government might help the states meet these needs. This unpublicized informal conference fashioned a dream that was somewhat revolutionary. The group established the concept that the Federal government did have a responsibility that went beyond the limited Library Service Act which at that time provided not more than $7 million for rural public library service. The committee on school libraries was the bravest of the sub- committees for it proposed a Federal program for school libraries calling for an appropriation of $40 million annually, which was far greater than the $7 million authorized for LSA. And this was asking for the moon ! It planted the seed that flowered in 1965. From this brave assertion that the Federal government's share in the support of school libraries should be at least $40 million annually, this past fiscal year over $250 million of Federal funds were committed for printed and audiovisual school library resources alone, according to estimates made by the U. S. Office of Education.published or submitted for publicatio