1961 US Commission on Civil Rights Report Book 2 - University of ...

Act program, the Southern States received $2,035,904, or approximately
41 percent of the total $5 million appropriation. 62 In fiscal <strong>1961</strong>, out
of a total appropriation of $7,500,000, they received $3,188,883 or
approximately 43 percent. 68
AVAILABILITY OF SERVICES
In the fall of 1960 the <strong>Commission</strong>, through its State advisory committees,
addressed questionnaires to 256 LSA participating public
libraries in the 17 Southern States in an effort to ascertain the type and
availability of their services to both the white and Negro residents of
the community served.
The questionnaire inquired as to the availability to both races of fixed
location reading facilities; as to whether or not facilities were segregated;
as to hours of service and size of reference and circulating collections
; and as to bookmobile service. 64 In most cases the questionnaires
returned were completed by the librarian.
Replies were received from only 109 libraries located in 11 States. 65
This small return was due in part to the inability of some advisory
committees to undertake the task, and in part to the lack of cooperation
or even open hostility of State and local officials. 56 Replies were received
from 62 libraries in 6 of the former Confederate States. 67 While the
results of the survey are insufficient for a conclusive statistical presentation,
nevertheless the data collected disclosed practices in some of these
federally-supported libraries clearly in violation of the statute authorizing
Federal aid, and also of the constitutional equal protection clause.
All 109 replying libraries reported having one or more fixed locations
offering library service. Of these, 61 gave unqualified service to all
races; 9 reported that the main reference library was for whites only
but that Negroes and whites were served at branches. Of the 9 reporting
qualified service, 4 had separate racial facilities available at the same
location; 2 reported "cooperation" between branches and main libraries
in availability of special equipment; 2 maintained racially separate rest
rooms; and i reported that while the State allows "service to racial
groups" where books and facilities are provided with public funds, the
county library boards set their own racial policies. The remaining 39
libraries reported having reading facilities only for whites, or at segregated
branches (some of which were merely service stations for bookmobile
pickup and delivery in homes, banks, stores, etc.). In one
heavily populated county with 12 library branches none were located in
Negro communities, allegedly because of insufficient Negro population.
599611—fll 11
J 47