INVESTMENT IN LIBRARIES: PART OF ECONOMIC GROWTH Available to Purchase

Deferred maintenance is endemic in higher education and all levels of government. Too many librarians work in poor physical conditions, and as a result, the services that are supplied to users are not as good as they should be. Even though each year there are many new libraries, additions, and renovations, many continue to exist in suboptimal conditions, with crowded bookshelves, little reading space, and inadequate electrical wiring. As if that were not enough, many changes are required to accommodate the needs of the handicapped. States have been trying to help out with federal funds, but those funds can go only so far. If the present administration has its way, they will vanish along with other Library Services and Construction Act programs “that have served their purpose.”