Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-15

At the recent hearings on
the confirmation of L. Quincy
Mumford as Librarian Of Con-
gress. Senators Of both parties
sounded like frustrated library
patrons everywhere. They
complained that they put their
names on waiting lists for
books and sometimes never
heard again.
Behind their complaints lay
a larger problem and q dis
pute that periodically has agi-
tated Congress since 1916.
That Is whether the Library
should continue to expand as
our national library or revert
to an older, narrower role as
the handmaiden Of the Con-
gress.
Senator Jenner of Indiana,
who as chairman Of the Rules
Committee, presided over the
hearings, left no doubt in OBJ
servers minds that he wished
to impress on Mr.. Mumford-
who, incidentally, was con-
firmed handily-that the liz
brary Of Congress should UNI
derstand that the voice of
Congress is his masters voice.
Study to Be Made
The Senator repeatedly
pressed Mr.. Mumford, former
Librarian of Cleveland, for
promises that Mr.. Mumford
would study the whole ques-
ton Of whether the Library
was currently neglecting its
services to the Congress in
favor of service to the gen.
eral public.
Mr., Mumford, a very self
possessed candidate promised
that he would.
Actually, says Werner Clapp.
acting librarian and a 30-year
veteran Of the Library, "the
fact is that the Library has
gone far beyond the purposes
for which it was originally
created but that it has done
this with the full consent and
encouragement of Congress"
Privileges Extended
In 1902. two years after its
creation for the convenience
of Congress, the members voted
to extend privileges and cour-
tesies to the President and
Vice President. Later it invited
members Of his cabinet and
the diplomatic corps to use it,
too.
Other milestones in its con-
occasionally sponsored progress
to pre-eminence in world
Libraries were the purchase Of
the Peter Force Library in
1867. the taking over Of the
Smithsonian Institute library
and its designation as reposi-
tory Of copyrighted works In
1916.
Just in the past % years
it has accepted $8.5 million in
money from benefactors and
in the past 10 years Sc million
worth of books. manuscripts
and other materials. Presum-
ably the treasure was not
offered or taken for exclusive
congressional use.
If Senator Jenner means to
do more than just crack
the whip over the new liz
, brarian, he will have to make
a new law for the Library Of
Congress. The Joint Commit
tee on the Library serves in q
merely advisory capacity, and
under the Reorganization Act
has only subcommittee status
in both houses. The Appropri-
atoms Committees, of course.
have jurisdiction, insofar as
money is concerned. But the
librarian is directly accountable
to no congressional committee.
And unlike other agency
heads, he can hire and fire
without regard either to civil
service or patronage.
Plan FoiIed
When the Library moved out
of its quarters in the Capitol
in 1897, q Joint Committee
on the Library specifically
charged with the duty of sug-
costing q plan for the Or
ganization, custody and man
agement Of the Library" failed
to act on a suggestion that the
Library be supervised by the
the advances Of Peter Lynch,
Thus Senator Jenner was
right when he said. IF there is
such q thing as q dictator in
Government it is the Librarian
Of Congress"
The question Of the policy
Of the Library Of Congress in
the way Of expansion and
service to the public and to
the Congress was first raised in
a House Appropriations Com
mittee hearing in 1916, when
the then librarian, Luther
Evans, asked for record bu-
dget. The committee withheld
the request until determine
ton Of policy had been made.
The determination was never
made, although Mr.. Evans app
pointed q distinguished COM
mittee to consider the func-
tions Of the library.
The Library Of Congress has