National Commission On Libraries And Information Science
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The National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) was an agency in the
United States government The Federal Government of the United States of America (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the Federation#Federal governments, national government of the United States. The U.S. federal government is composed of three distinct ...
between 1970 and 2008. The activities of the Commission were consolidated into the
Institute of Museum and Library Services The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the United States federal government established in 1996. It is the main source of federal support for librar ...
. Records of NCLIS are held at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration and the
University of Michigan Library The University of Michigan Library is the academic library system of the University of Michigan. The university's 38 constituent and affiliated libraries together make it the second largest research library by number of volumes in the United Sta ...
, Special Collections as part of the Power Collection for the Study of Scholarly Communication and Information Transfer.


National Advisory Commission on Libraries

President
Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...
appointed a National Advisory Commission on Libraries in 1966 to appraise the role and adequacy of the nation's libraries and recommend ways of improving them. Members of the Commission appointed: Dr.
Douglas Knight Douglas Maitland Knight (June 8, 1921 – January 23, 2005) was an American educator, businessman, and author. He was a former professor of literature at Yale University prior to his presidency at Lawrence College from 1954 to 1963. Stemming from ...
, president,
Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...
, as Commission chairman;
Verner W. Clapp Verner Warren Clapp (June 3, 1901 – June 15, 1972) was a librarian, writer, and polymath. Starting as a summer clerk at the Library of Congress in 1922, Clapp rose to chief assistant librarian and acting Librarian of Congress. In 1956, he left ...
, president,
Council on Library and Information Resources The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) is an American independent, nonprofit organization. It works with libraries, cultural institutions, and higher learning communities on developing strategies to improve research, teaching, an ...
; Carl Overhage, director of Project INTREX, M.I.T.;
Herman H. Fussler Herman Howe Fussler (May 15, 1914 – March 2, 1997) was an American librarian, library administrator, teacher, writer and editor, who was a pioneer in the use of microphotography. He was the librarian for the Manhattan Project. Fussler was rank ...
, director of libraries,
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...
; Theodore Waller, president,
Grolier Grolier is one of the largest American publishers of general encyclopedias, including '' The Book of Knowledge'' (1910), '' The New Book of Knowledge'' (1966), ''The New Book of Popular Science'' (1972), '' Encyclopedia Americana'' (1945), '' Ac ...
Educational Corporation;
Wilbur Schramm Wilbur Lang Schramm (August 5, 1907 – December 27, 1987) was an American scholar and "authority on mass communications". He founded the Iowa Writers' Workshop in 1936 and served as its first director until 1941. Schramm was hugely influential i ...
, director, Institute for Communication Research,
Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
; Launor Carter,
System Development Corporation System Development Corporation (SDC) was a computer software company based in Santa Monica, California. Initially created as a division of the RAND Corporation in December 1955 (under the name System Development Division) and established as an ind ...
; William N. Hubbard, Jr., chairman,
Educause Educause is a nonprofit association in the United States whose mission is "to advance higher education through the use of information technology". Membership is open to institutions of higher education, corporations serving the higher education in ...
(then EDUCOM); Caryl P. Haskins,
Carnegie Institution for Science The Carnegie Institution for Science, also known as Carnegie Science and the Carnegie Institution of Washington, is an organization established to fund and perform scientific research in the United States. This institution is headquartered in W ...
; Alvin C. Eurich, president,
Aspen Institute The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1949 as the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C., but also has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, its original home. Its stated miss ...
; Stephen J. Wright, former president of
Fisk University Fisk University is a Private university, private Historically black colleges and universities, historically black Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1866 and its campus i ...
; Harry Ransom,
University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...
;
Carl Elliott Carl Atwood Elliott (December 20, 1913 – January 9, 1999) was a U.S. representative from the U.S. state of Alabama. He was elected to eight consecutive terms, having served from 1949 to 1965. Background Elliott was born in rural Frank ...
, former Congressman from Alabama; and
Estelle Brodman Estelle Brodman (1914–2007) was an American medical librarian and medical historian. She held positions at Columbia University, the National Library of Medicine and the Washington University School of Medicine (WashU Medicine). Brodman served te ...
,
National Library of Medicine The United States National Library of Medicine (NLM), operated by the United States federal government, is the world's largest medical library. Located in Bethesda, Maryland, the NLM is an institute within the National Institutes of Health. I ...
. The National Advisory Commission was appointed to "make a comprehensive study and appraisal of the role of libraries as resources for scholarly pursuits, as centers for the dissemination of knowledge, and as components of the evolving national information systems." The Commission report, ''Libraries at Large: Tradition, Innovation, and the National Interest; the Resource Book Based on the Materials of the National Advisory Commission on Libraries,'' provided documentation for legislation. Other responsibilities included the appraisal of public agency programs and library funding. The Commission also had the task of making recommendations for government and private agencies to "ensure an effective and efficient library system for the Nation." After Hearings before the United States House Committee on Education and Labor, Select Subcommittee on Education The Advisory Commission ultimately recommended "the establishment of a National Commission on Library and Information Science as a continuing Federal Planning agency." The recommendations of the National Advisory Commission were incorporated into legislation (PL 91-345) that established the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) as a permanent, independent agency of the
Federal government of the United States The Federal Government of the United States of America (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the Federation#Federal governments, national government of the United States. The U.S. federal government is composed of three distinct ...
in 1970.


NCLIS Purpose

#Advise the President and the Congress on the implementation of policy. #Conduct surveys and studies relative to library and information needs. #Develop plans to meet national library and information needs. #Advise federal, state, local, and private agencies regarding library and information sciences.


Activities


Government information

Studies making recommendations on the dissemination of federal government information, including: *Zurkowski, Paul G. (1974). ''The Information Service Environment Relationships and Priorities.'' Report to the National Commission on Library and Information Science (NCLIS). ERI
ED100391
1974. *1978–2001 Study of the role of government documents in a national program of library and information services. *"Principles of Public Information", adopted by NCLIS on June 29, 1990. *"Comprehensive Assessment of Public Information Dissemination", issued in 2001 (http://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00038081/00040/allvolumes).


White House Conferences on Library and Information Services

In 1979,
President Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, Carter served from 1971 to 1975 ...
opened the first White House Conference on Library and Information Services stating that "libraries must be strengthened and the public made more aware of their potential: Libraries can be community resources for the consumer and small business on matters such as energy and marketing and technological innovation." The National Commission on Libraries and Information Science sponsored two White House Conferences in 1979 and 1991. The 1979 conference focused on "Elements of a Comprehensive National Library and Information Services Program"; "Legislative and Administrative Initiatives"; and a proposed National Library and Information Services Act. Sixty-four resolutions were passed in five areas: services for personal needs, lifelong learning, organizations and the professions, social government, and international cooperation and understanding. "The resolutions asked that libraries serve people in better ways, that local control of these services be maintained, and that institutions providing the services be accountable." Attendance was 3,600. The 1991 Conference held July 9–13, 1991, brought more than 900 delegates representing all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and six U.S. territories. Resolutions included Access, Governance, Marketing, Networking, National Information Policy, Preservation, Services to Diverse Populations, Technology, Training of End Users, and Personnel. Hearings were held on recommendations. The lasting effects of the two White House Conferences on Library and Information Services were assessed by
Virginia Mathews Virginia Winslow Hopper Mathews (1925-2011) was a literacy advocate and author. Mathews, the daughter of American Indian author John Joseph Mathews, co-founded the American Indian Library Association (AILA). She also helped develop Sesame Street ...
for the
Center for the Book The Library of Congress's Center for the Book was founded in 1977 by Daniel J. Boorstin, the Librarian of Congress, to promote literacy, libraries, and reading and an understanding of the history and heritage of American literature. The Cent ...
in 2004. The records of the state-level White House pre-conferences are held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Archives. Some states, like Alabama and North Carolina, published state proceedings; Other states, like Arkansas and Massachusetts, included coverage in state association journals.


Statistical and other activities

*Between 1973 and 2000, NCLIS published at least ten reports dealing with public libraries. These reports dealt with funding, providing Internet access to the public, and establishing community information and referral services. *Statistics. *The sister libraries program. *Conference on information literacy held in Prague in 2003. *The report ''Trust and Terror: New Demands for Crisis Information Dissemination and Management,'' a proposal to expand the role of U.S. libraries in crisis information dissemination and management with
Walter Cronkite Walter Leland Cronkite Jr. (November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009) was an American broadcast journalist who served as anchorman for the ''CBS Evening News'' from 1962 to 1981. During the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trust ...
narrating.


Strategic Goals

In 2004, the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) announced three strategic goals to guide its work in the immediate future. *Appraising and assessing library and information services provided for the American people, *Strengthening the relevance of libraries and information science in the lives of the American people, *Promoting research and development for extending and improving library and information services for the American people.


NCLIS executive directors


NCLIS chairs

Brief biographies and photographs of NCLIS chairs are provided in
Meeting the Information Needs of the American People: Past Actions and Future Initiatives
' Appendix B. * Frederick Burkhardt (1970–1978) * Charles Benton (1978–1982) *
Elinor M. Hashim Eleanor is a female given name. Eleanor, Elenore, Elinor, Elinore, Ellinore, Elynor or variations thereof may also refer to: Arts and entertainment *"Elenore", a 1968 song by The Turtles * "Elinor" (song) by Basshunter, 2013 *''Elinor'', a 1980 al ...
(1982–1986) * Kenneth Y. Tomlinson (1986–1987) *
Jerald C. Newman Jerald is a masculine given name which is a variant of Gerald, a German name meaning "rule of the spear". Gerald was brought to Great Britain by the Normans, along with variants Jerold and Jerrold, and the feminine Geraldine. Short forms include ...
(1987–1990) * Charles E. Reid (1990–1992) *
J. Michael Farrell J, or j, is the tenth letter of the English alphabet. J may also refer to: * Palatal approximant in the International Phonetic Alphabet * J, Cyrillic letter Je Astronomy * J, a provisional designation prefix for some objects discovered bet ...
(1992–1993) * Jeanne Hurley Simon (1993–2000) *
Martha B. Gould The National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) was an agency in the United States government between 1970 and 2008. The activities of the Commission were consolidated into the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Record ...
(2000–2003) * Joan R. Challinor (2003–2004) * Beth Duston Fitzsimmons (2004–2008)


NCLIS publications

The Commission issued a comprehensive list of publications in Appendix F of its final (March 2008) report,
Meeting the Information Needs of the American People: Past Actions and Future Initiatives
'. The report documents the history and accomplishments of the Commission and provides a compelling future agenda for information policy research and development. Among its notable publications was ''Pathways to Excellence: A Report on Improving Library and Information Services for Native American Peoples''


Closing

In Fiscal Year 2007–2008 appropriations, the Commission received limited funding and instructions to terminate its operations. Activities were consolidated under the
Institute of Museum and Library Services The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the United States federal government established in 1996. It is the main source of federal support for librar ...
, and the Commission office closed on March 30, 2008.Blumenstein, Lynn. 2008. “Closing NCLIS Looks Back and Forward.” ''Library Journal'' 133 (9): 20–21.


Footnotes


References

* *


External links


Jeanne Hurley Simon Papers
at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Meeting the Information Needs of the American People: Past Actions and Future Initiatives
(ERIC)
National Commission on Libraries and Information Science Records.
(1966–1995). University of Michigan. {{DEFAULTSORT:National Commission On Libraries And Information Science Library-related organizations United States federal boards, commissions, and committees Information science Library history White House conferences United States national commissions