Papers of David E. King, president-elect of the Illinois chapter of the Special Libraries Association (1979) and delegate to the Illinois White House Conference and to the White House Conference in Library and Information Services, contains correspondence, agendas, duplicated releases, and reports, includes the White House Conference on Library and Information Services.
The White House Conference on Library and Information Services evolved from a suggestion by Channing Bete, Sr. in 1957. The conference was authorized by Public Law 93-568, signed by President Gerald Ford on December 31, 1974. A bill appropriating #3,500,000 to plan and conduct the conference under the guidance of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science was approved by President Jimmy Carter on May 4, 1977. The purpose of the conference was to develop recommendations to improve the nation's libraries and information centers and their use by the public.
Pre-White House Conference were planned for the states, territories, and possessions. A total of 57 pre-conferences adopted 3,000 resolutions and selected 900 delegates and alternates to represent them in Washington on November 15-19, 1979. Five basic themes were chosen: personal need; lifelong learning; organizations and the profession; governing our society; and international understanding and cooperation.