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Library Services
Enacted in 1964, the Library Services and Construction Act provides federal assistance to libraries in the U.S. for the purpose of improving or implementing library services or undertaking construction projects. Influenced by the civil rights movement of the 1960s, a primary aim of the Library Services and Construction Act was to provide funding for underserved and/or disadvantaged communities in need of library service. Some of these groups include but are not limited to the institutionalized, the physically handicapped, low-income families, senior citizens, and ethnic minorities. In its thirty year history, the Library Services and Construction Act has undergone numerous reauthorizations. Each amendment has been dictated by changing needs in the library community, and these needs have been identified and voiced by state librarians and public library directors alike. Some of these amendments include appropriations for literacy programs and the acquisition of foreign-language materials. While changes to the Library Services and Construction Act have sought to keep this piece of legislation current, through the years many have voiced opposition to certain aspects of this act.