OVERSIGHT Hearing on: “Library of Congress: Ensuring Continuity and Efficiency During Leadership Transitions”

<p align="center"><strong>Rep. Zoe Lofgren Statement</strong></p> <p align="center">CHA Oversight Hearing on the Library of Congress</p> <p align="center">&ldquo;Ensuring Continuity and Efficiency During Leadership Transitions&rdquo;</p> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> <p align="center">April 18, 2012</p> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> <p align="center">&nbsp;</p> <p>Thank you Chairman Gingrey for calling this hearing of the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world and is a national treasure. The Library&rsquo;s collection has 34.5 million books and printed materials, as well as more than 117 million maps, manuscripts, photographs, films, audio and video recordings, prints and drawings, and other special collections. The Library welcomes more than 1.7 million researchers, scholars and tourists each year and also serves as the research arm of Congress.&nbsp; The Congressional Research Service assists members of Congress and our staff with timely research and information.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>I appreciate the work that all of the employees at the Library of Congress do every day on behalf of Congress and the American people.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>We are here this morning because the House Administration Committee has oversight authority over the Library of Congress. Our staffs have regular meetings with the different divisions at the Library and from time to time, oversight hearings are called with the Library division heads.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>While Dr. James Billington has been the Librarian of the Library of Congress since 1987 &ndash; out lasting four U.S. presidents &ndash; there have been a high number of turnovers at the division head level of the Library in the last nine months:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>Ms. Roberta Shaffer was appointed Associate Librarian in January 2012</li> <li>Mr. David Mao was appointed Law Librarian in January 2012</li> <li>Dr. Mary Mazanec was appointed Director of the Congressional Research Service in December 2011</li> <li>Ms. Maria Pallante was appointed the Register of Copyright in June 2011</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>With so many divisions in a state of transition, it is a good time for us to check in with the division heads to learn their vision of how they plan to lead the organization into future, particularly in this tight budgetary climate.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>This Committee has the authority and obligation to make sure the agencies within our jurisdiction are performing their duties in an efficient and transparent manner.&nbsp; More importantly, we must ensure that the agencies before us are acting in the best interest of the general public and are being good stewards of tax payer dollars.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today about the divisions they represent, the challenges they face, and opportunities to improve service.</p>