[QuadList] Library of congress and quads--Don't beat up on the LoC--Look at your Congress

[Ted Langdell]

On Aug 7, 2013, at 2:34 PM, Don Norwood wrote:

> Hi Ed:
>  
> I've had several first-hand reports recently about the state of the LOC operation and what they are (or are not) doing.  Given the magnitude of the quad transfer work that exists, there's little evidence of any serious attempt to get the job done.  They apparently do not have the technical expertise to repair and maintain the machines they have which include a large number of quads that have been donated and are simply collecting dust.  Under these circumstances, it's hard to imagine what they would do with an AVR-1.  I hope my assessment is wrong, and I'd very much welcome any news that indicates otherwise.
>  
> Don 



According to the Library of Congress Overview in the 2014 Fiscal 2014 Budget Justification submitted for use of the Committees on Appropriations (pages 2 and 3):  

The budget reductions of the past two years have had unavoidable negative impacts, such as...
A reduction of 50 percent in the Library’s budget for converting its extraordinary collections into digital formats and making them freely available online to the American people. 

The President is supposed to submit budget request on-time... and Congress is supposed to act... to sort out the conflicts and pass a budget... on time.  

Deadlines for passing budgets to send to the President have become a series of "Continuing Resolutions." 

That's all now complicated by the effects of the Sequester that was supposed to prod all parties to actually PASS a budget.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budget_sequestration_in_2013

See these links for how the federal budget process is supposed to work.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_budget_process
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=155

Now "our representatives" are on vacation until after Labor Day... the new budget year begins on Oct. 1, and I would be quite surprised if anyone can say with certainty what the federal government—regardless of what branch—will be able to spend beginning Oct. 1.

That Includes funds for refurbishing Quad head assemblies and those for other machines, addressing the ongoing maintenance, repair or restoration of machines themselves and all the other items that make up the ability to transfer tons and tons of tapes in an efficient manner, the way the LoC has planned to do... but is held up by circumstances it can't control.

One can plan to go to the grocery store to re-stock the fridge, but without money in the bank or gas in the car, its not likely to happen as planned.

Let me add that I don't speak for the LoC or anyone employed there. 

Ted

Ted Langdell
Secretary
Skype: 	TedLangdell
e-mail:	ted at quadvideotapegroup.com


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