Dr. Billington has announced a reorganization to enable the Library to meet the challenges posed by budget austerity as well as to ensure managers' accountability for operations of the Library and the security of the collections.
In addition to changing the Library's organization structure, Dr. Billington is streamlining the decision-making process. He said he will rely on an executive committee of five senior managers to help him make decisions more rapidly and assign more accountability for results than has been possible under the existing Library Management Team structure.
"Giving the full Management Team a voice in every decision has been collegial and healthy for the growth of us all. This model, however, has often prevented decisions from being made in a timely way and sometimes rendered the mission and priorities of the institution subservient to the needs of the individual service units," the Librarian said in a Sept. 15 memo to management team members.
The new Library structure is designed to improve management accountability by consolidating responsibility for Library support operations under one senior manager. The chief of the Protective Services Office will report directly to the Office of the Librarian. The plan also is designed to consolidate responsibility for all library services in one new Library Services unit. Responsibility for management and protection of the collections, as well as their acquisition, processing, and service to patrons, will be brought under one manager, the associate librarian for library services.
The members of the new Executive Committee and their responsibilities are: Deputy Librarian Hiram Davis, overall Library issues; Chief of Staff Suzanne Thorin, all issues relating to support services and the National Digital Library Program; Winston Tabb, the new associate librarian for library services, all issues relating to library services; Congressional Research Service Director Daniel P. Mulhollan, all congressional issues; and Senior Advisor for Diversity Jo Ann Jenkins, all work force issues.
The old management team will continue to meet to exchange critical information under the continuing chairmanship of Dr. Davis.
Library officials said the move to restructure and streamline the Library stemmed not only from a need for tighter management but also from the pressure of shrinking resources due to congressional determination to reduce the cost of the legislative branch.
"To maintain our core services during this austere budget climate, we must improve and streamline management of the Library and achieve additional efficiencies through restructuring," Dr. Billington said in a special announcement to the staff.
Dr. Davis and Ms. Thorin presented the Librarian with options for restructuring. "With the prospect of less money to spend for essential Library programs and support services every year, we have no choice but to tighten our belts and operate more efficiently and more effectively," said Dr. Davis.
"Even with level budgets, the Library loses millions of dollars in support for salaries and services every new fiscal year because we have to absorb mandatory pay and price level increases," Ms. Thorin added.
The conference report approved by the House on Sept. 6 and awaiting final Senate action would bring the Library's budget to a total of $352,399,000 for FY 1996, including authority to spend $27.7 million in receipts.
Although this budget would provide $3 million for the National Digital Library Program, it would reduce the Library's general appropriation by $1.5 million; the Library also would have to absorb an estimated $15.6 million in mandatory pay and price level increases.
This measure would eliminate more than 2,600 legislative branch positions (full-time equivalents), according to Rep. Ron Packard (R-Calif.), chairman of the House legislative branch appropriations subcommittee.
Ms. Thorin and Dr. Davis said the Library reorganization comes after lengthy deliberations by the Library's top managers. "Since our 1994 fall retreat, managers have been discussing how to run all Library operations more effectively and how to plan for the reopening of the Jefferson and Adams buildings after the renovation," Ms. Thorin said.
The first phase of the reorganization will begin in November with the shifting of responsibility for all of the collections from three separate services units -- Collections Services, Constituent Services, and Cultural Affairs -- to one large, new service unit, Library Services, to be headed by Winston Tabb, currently the associate librarian for collections services. Responsibility for all of LC's support services soon will shift to Chief of Staff Thorin. The Library plans to create an administrative support unit in the spring of 1996, during the second phase of the reorganization.
The Congressional Research Service, the Copyright Office, and the Law Library will remain as separate service units.
"We have a great group of talented people here, and we are taking care to place them in positions in which they may realize their potential while providing service of greatest benefit to the Library," said Tabb, who in November will become associate librarian for library services. "Everyone will be offered an appropriate job," he emphasized.
Dr. Davis joined Mr. Tabb and Ms. Thorin in praise for the administrative support staffers affected by the reorganization. "Many of these people have dedicated years of service to the Library and are skilled administrators who know how to get the job done. Their knowledge of the Library and of regulations and procedures relating to personnel, budgets, contracts and other administrative matters are invaluable," Dr. Davis said.
Economies will occur during the first phase of the reorganization as some staffers are placed in vacancies that otherwise would have to be filled by new staff, Tabb said.
Further structural changes and economies are expected during the second phase of the reorganization. "I am directing the new Associate Librarian for Library Services and the Chief of Staff to evaluate the structure and functions of each unit under their jurisdiction in order to recommend to the Deputy and me further consolidations and economies that may be achieved," the Librarian said in the special announcement. "This process will begin in November 1995, and conclude in the spring of 1996."
