From The Gazette, the internal newsletter of the Library of Congress, and posted on the Library of Congress Blog:
The Librarian of Congress and the Library’s senior managers summoned to a House Administration Committee hearing on Oct. 24 countered members’ suggestions that they take their cues from Wal-Mart, Target or UPS on how to control and track the Library’s collections inventory.
They also refuted a Washington Post headline and story, published the morning of the hearing, which said 17 percent of the Library’s general collections is “missing.” The story was based on Inspector General Karl W. Schornagel’s March 2007 audit survey report, “Survey of Collections Access, Loan, and Management Division Service,” which was also a subject of the congressional hearing. Schornagel is authorized by statute to operate independently of the Library and to report directly to Congress.