Statement of Chairman Robert A. Brady on Current Issues in Library Management

                
Good morning.  We're convened here this morning to continue our oversight of the management of the Library of Congress.  Today we will focus on three important issues facing the Library:  inventory of the collection, cataloging, and the status of the law library.

As the only institution of its type, the Library of Congress is unique.  It is the largest repository of books, films, photography, maps, music and priceless artifacts in the history of the world, and is the premier destination for researchers both nationally and internationally.  The Library is the research wing of the U.S. Congress, providing information and guidance daily to Members and staff alike.

A collection of this size, however, can be both a blessing and a curse.  While an invaluable amount of the world's knowledge is stored at the Library of Congress, keeping track of this precious collection has proven difficult.   Approximately 20 % of the Library's collection has been inventoried, while the balance has not.

The Library of Congress also provides essential tools for other libraries throughout the nation.  Before domination by the internet, research was done at libraries, through card catalogs.  And the Library of Congress provided the basic information for card catalogs across the country.

While the digital revolution has caused a steep decline in manual research, the art of cataloging is still integral to library science.  Although the technology changes, the need to distill essential information for researchers remains.  Implementing and developing new strategies for cataloguing in an ever-changing environment must remain a top priority for the Library.

Finally, the law library of Congress is also relied upon by lawyers, judges, law students and researchers throughout the nation.  It serves as the first stop for research for the United States Supreme Court.  In the past, it has provided a comprehensive collection of legal materials to support historical and current legal analysis.  But recent budget limits have led to cutbacks in its collections and in the reference staff that assists its users.  We must ensure that the law library continues to serve as the reference of record for legal research.

I look forward to the testimony of the witnesses on these issues.

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