Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH), Chair of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks at the Subcommittee's hearing on the Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Request for the Library of Congress:
I would like to welcome the Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden, to present the fiscal year 2023 budget request for the Library of Congress. Dr. Hayden, it is always a pleasure to hear from you and your team. I see them behind you so at the beginning of your testimony please introduce your colleagues who will be joining you today. I would like to thank each of you for the extraordinary work you and your teams do for Congress and your devoted patrons. I also would like to thank Sarah Boliek, Mary Klutts, the Budget Team, and the CRS staff and for all their work during the fiscal year 2022 appropriations process. This staff can be relied on at all hours and we appreciate that.
Since its founding, the Library of Congress, the largest library in the world, continues to engage, inspire and inform millions of patrons. Over the past few years, the Library has made significant strides in the areas of modernizing essential technology and optimizing operations to facilitate easier and robust access to its collections for Congress and the public. These collections are invaluable, they teach us of things past, and the possibilities of things to come.
Currently, resources for the Library of Congress are 13.4% of the entire Legislative Branch budget totaling a little over $794 million in appropriated funds in fiscal year 2022. For fiscal year 2023, the Library has requested $824.9 million. This updated request is $7.2 million less than the amount cited in the President’s budget, and an increase of 3.9 percent or $30.9 million over the fiscal year 2022 enacted total.
Dr. Hayden, I look forward to your testimony. I hope you can expand on the Library’s 10 new initiatives totaling $24.4 million that aim to increase your investments in IT, ensure the safety of the library’s 170 million collections, and provide the best visitor experiences.
Original source can be found here.
