When the National Commission on Libraries and Information Sciences
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The National Commission on Libraries and Information Science is a permanent, independent agency of the federal government, established in 1970 with the enactment of Public Law 91-345. The Commission is charged with: • Advising the President and the Congress on the implementation of policy • Conducting studies, surveys, and analyses of the library and informational needs of the nation • Appraising the adequacies and deficiencies of current library and information resources and services • Developing overall plans for meeting national library and informational needs. The Commission also advises Federal, state, and local governments, and other public and private organizations, regarding library and information sciences, including consultations on relevant treaties, international agreements, and implementing legislation, and it promotes research and development activities that will extend and improve the nation’s library and information handling capability as essential links in the national and international networks. Commissioners and Staff include: C. Beth Fitzsimmons, Ph.D., Chairman Bridget L. Lamont, Vice Chairman José A. Aponte Sandra F. Ashworth Edward L. Bertorelli Jan Cellucci Carol L. Diehl Allison Druin, Ph.D. Patricia M. Hines Colleen E. Huebner, Ph.D., MPH Stephen M. Kennedy Mary H. Perdue S. Diane Rivers, Ph.D. Herman L. Totten, Ph.D. James H. Billington, Ph.D. Anne-Imelda M. Radice, Ph.D. Librarian of Congress Director, Institute of Museum Deanna Marcum, Ph.D. and Library Services Alternate for Dr. Billington Madeleine C. McCain Kim A. Miller Joseph J. Dyer Director of Operations Special Assistant – Technical Management Operations Analyst Acting Executive Director Disclaimer The views, opinions, and recommendations expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect official position or policy of the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirement of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials. Citation U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. Meeting the information needs of the American people: past actions and future initiatives; a report based on research sponsored by the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science and conducted by Nancy Davenport and Judith Russell on behalf of Information International Associates, Inc. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2008. Cover design by Terri Lloyd. U.S. NATIONAL COMMISSION ON LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION SCIENCE MEETING THE INFORMATION NEEDS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE: PAST ACTIONS AND FUTURE INITIATIVES A Report Based on Research Sponsored by the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science Conducted by Nancy Davenport and Judith Russell On Behalf of Information International Associates, Inc. Under Contracts ED-07-PO-0751 and ED-07-PO-0752 U.S. NATIONAL COMMISSION ON LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION SCIENCE 1800 M STREET, NW, SUITE 350, NORTH TOWER, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512-1800; DC area (202) 512-1800 Fax: (202) 512-2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402-0001 ISBN 978-0-16-080304-8 March 2008 The President The White House Washington, DC 20500 The Vice President The United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 The Speaker of the House of Representatives United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, and Madam Speaker: The U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science was established by Congress in 1970 as an independent agency to advise the President and Congress on information policy issues. I am honored to have served as the Chairman of the Commission since January 28, 2004. Over the last 37 years the Commission has addressed through research, meetings of experts, and public hearings most of the issues that have been encountered by the American public in their quest for information to make decisions common in daily life, to participate in the democratic process, to educate their children, and to seek health care for themselves and their families. We have studied the relationship of students’ academic achievements to the presence of a school library media center and a school librarian. We have looked at the role of information in innovation and research and in daily commerce, before the Internet existed, and since it has become the most used way to retrieve and send information. We have sent recommendations to the President and the Congress in our reports and in our visits. We have seen changes in law affected as we recommended. This will be the final report from the U.S. National Commission on Library and Information Science. I contracted this work when we were seeking advice to assist the Commissioners in deciding the research issues we would undertake during the fiscal year. As events unfolded during the past few months, it became clear that the report needed to serve two functions: (1) to document the history and accomplishments of the Commission and (2) to remind the public and those who take up this mantle that the work of the Commission is not done. A compelling future agenda for information policy research and development is also presented as part of this report. I salute the Commissioners, both former and current, who have served with distinction throughout the life of the Commission and thank the staff for their dedication and hard work on behalf of the American public. The Commission has been led by extraordinarily gifted men and women, and I have been privileged to have been advised by them and count them as my friends. Sincerely, Beth Fitzsimmons, Ph.D. Commission Chair MEETING THE INFORMATION NEEDS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................. iii Historical Contributions of NCLIS ...................................................................................... iii Information Access for the American Public ....................................................................... iv Acknowledgments..................................................................................................................... v I. Background ...................................................................................................................... 1 II. Historical Contributions of NCLIS .................................................................................. 3 NCLIS Positions on Information Policy ............................................................................... 3 Background ...................................................................................................................... 3 The First Decade: 1970-1979 ........................................................................................... 4 The Second Decade: 1980-1989 ...................................................................................... 6 The Third Decade: 1990-1999 ....................................................................................... 11 The Final Years: 2000-2008 .......................................................................................... 14 Principles of Public Information .................................................................................... 20 Information Access for the American Public ...................................................................... 22 Background .................................................................................................................... 22 The First Decade: 1970-1979 ......................................................................................... 22 The Second Decade: 1980-1989 .................................................................................... 24 The Third Decade: 1990-1999 ....................................................................................... 26 The Final Decade: 2000-2008 ........................................................................................ 28 Measuring Libraries and Access to Information ............................................................ 33 NCLIS Role in the White House Conferences on Libraries and Information Science ....... 34 The First White House Conference on Library and Information Services, 1979 .......... 34 The Second White House Conference on Library and Information Services, 1991 ...... 37 III. Future Research Agenda ................................................................................................ 40 NCLIS Future Research Topics .......................................................................................... 40 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 40 Methodology .................................................................................................................. 40 Topic for Research: Public Libraries, Their Changing Role in U.S. Society and Measuring Their Societal Value .................................................................................... 41 Topic for Research: Digital Libraries ........................................................................... 43 Topic for Research: Building and Sharing Collections ................................................ 45 Topic for