----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Forwarded from the NINCH discussion list.
Judy
---------- Forwarded Message ----------
From: David Green, INTERNET:[log in to unmask]
TO: Multiple recipients of list, INTERNET:[log in to unmask]
DATE: 11/8/96 7:50 PM
RE: NINCH Newsletter #4
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NINCH
Networked Cultural Heritage Newsletter
No. 4
November 8, 1996
www-ninch.cni.org/news/news.html
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A news and information digest for those working to preserve and
provide access to cultural heritage resources through networked digital
technology.
====================================================================
This newsletter is published through the NINCH-Announce listserv of the
National Initiative for a Networked Cultural Heritage. You are welcome to
distribute it freely, with due acknowledgments. It is also available in a
hyperlinked version on the NINCH web site, within two days of publication.
Summary
1. FCC JOINT BOARD's RECOMMENDATIONS ON UNIVERSAL SERVICE
The Federal-State Joint Board recommended November 7 discounted rates for
telecommunications services to schools and libraries of between 20% and 90%
based on need. Discounts would apply to Internet access and wiring as well
as for telephone service.
2. WIPO HEARING AND COMMENTS
The Patent and Trademarks Office holds a public briefing November 12 on the
treaties to be considered by the World Intellectual Property Organization
in Geneva this December. Comments, especially on the treaties' "digital
agenda," should be submitted before November 22.
3. AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS
The American Council on the Arts and the National Assembly of Local Arts
Agencies have untied to form a new organization.
4. INSTITUTE FOR MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES
Diane Frankl heads a new agency combining the former Institute of Museum
Services and support for libraries currently under the Department of
Education.
5. UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA LIBRARY EXPLORES INTERNET FUTURE OF RARE BOOKS
Under a Mellon grant the University of Virginia will be digitizing nearly
600 rare books and first editions of early American fiction in a study to
compare ease of use and cost in supplying rare editions on the Internet.
6. CONFERENCES: SGML 96 and the Seventh International Conference on
Theoretical and Methodological Issues in Machine Translation
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FCC JOINT BOARD's RECOMMENDATIONS ON UNIVERSAL SERVICE
The FCC Joint Board reported November 7 its recommended implementations of
the Universal Service provisions of the Telecommunications Act. The
recommendations will be available for public comment shortly and the full
FCC will vote on them in May 1997.
The Joint Board recommended discounted telecommunications services of
between 20 and 90% for schools and libraries based on need. 70% of public
schools would be eligible for discounts of up to 50% on basic telephone
services, Internet access, and wiring classrooms to computer networks.
Deeper discounts would be available for libraries and schools in rural,
high-cost and low-income communities. The discounts are valued at up to
$2.25 billion annually.
Although the Board did not adopt the proposed E-rate, as many felt it would
not, it did go beyond what many expected in its inclusion of Internet
access and the wiring of schools. For background information, see NINCH
Newsletter #3.
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WIPO HEARING AND COMMENTS
Public Briefing on WIPO Proposals: November 12
Public Comments Requested Before November 22
Responding to interest and concern about the U.S. participation in the
Diplomatic Conference sponsored by the World Intellectual Property
Organization in Geneva, December 2-20th, the Patent and Trademark Office is
holding a public briefing. The briefing will take place on Tuesday,
November 12, from 1pm until 5pm at the Crystal Forum, the Marriott Hotel,
The Underground, 1999 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA.
At the briefing, Jukka Liedes, Chairman of the Committee of Experts, will
discuss the text of the proposals to be considered in Geneva and be
available to answer questions.
Many have been urging the U.S. Administration to cancel consideration of
digital issues by this international body until unresolved issues in the
domestic NII Copyright Protection Act are further considered in Congress.
Principle concerns for the cultural community are the unguaranteed future
of fair use, the ability to browse on the Internet and the ability to use
the Internet for distance learning. The three treaties being discussed at
Geneva also include a new measure to severely curtail the public's rights
to use public domain materials stored in "databases."
For background information see earlier NINCH newsletters or visit the web
site of the Digital Future Coalition (www.dfc.org/dfc). For more background
on the database treaty see www.essential.org/cpt/ip/cpt-dbcom.html
A separate meeting for the library and educational community with Jukka
Liedes will be held on Wednesday November 13,from 10:45am to 12 noon. This
is an opportunity to speak with Mr. Liedes about the proposals. This
smaller meeting will be held at the Commissioner's Conference Room, Patent
and Trademark Office, 2121 Crystal Drive, Crystal Park II, Room 912,
Arlington, VA. Those wanting to attend this second meeting must RSVP to
Peter Fowler, Office of Legislative and International Affairs (PTO),
Telephone 703/306-2967, Fax 703/305-8885.
Written comments on the proposals are encouraged. We should all indicate
our commitment to build consensus on these issues based on thorough
discussion in the community and legislation in Congress before presentation
to an international body. Reaffirm your committment to the principle of
fair use and to the notion of balanced copyright law in the digital age.
By Friday, November 22, write and e-mail the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office. Mailed comments should be addressed to Ms. Carmen Guzman Lowrey,
Associate Commissioner for Governmental and International Affairs,
Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks, Box 4, Patent and Trademark Office,
Washington, D.C. 20231. Electronic submissions should be e-mailed to Mr.
Keith Kupferschmid at [log in to unmask]
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AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS
AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS is a new national arts organization combining The
National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies (NALAA), the country's largest
alliance of community arts organizations, and the American Council for the
Arts. The new organization will also incorporate the National Coalition of
United Arts Funds.
By bringing together the funding potential of the private and public
sectors with a strong grassroots network of more than 4,000 local arts
agencies and united arts funds, the new organization intends to provide the
strength in numbers and the funding that can enhance advocacy and
influence cultural policy and support at all levels. A key goal is to
attract more private and public resources to the arts in America.
NALAA President and CEO, Bob Lynch is the President and CEO of Americans
for the Arts and Fred Lazarus, ACA Chair, is the new Chairman. Americans
for the Arts office is at
927 15th Street, NW, Washington DC 20005 (tel: 202/371-2830; fax:
202/371-0424). The web address is www.artsusa.org
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INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES CREATED
Another act of consolidation earlier this fall created the Institute of
Museum and Library Services (IMLS) bringing together programs of support
for museums, currently administered by the Institute of Museum Services
(IMS), with support for public libraries
currently administered by the Department of Education.
Within IMLS, the Office of Museum Services and the Office of Library
Services each have their own deputy director, retain separate boards and
draw their appropriations from separate accounts. The U.S. National
Commission on Libraries and Information
Science will advise IMLS on general policy related to financial assistance
for library services. The National Museum Services Board will continue to
provide policy advice on museum programs.
Diane B. Frankel, former director of the Institute of Museum Services, will
be the new director of IMLS, for a four-year term.
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UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA LIBRARY EXPLORES INTERNET FUTURE OF RARE BOOKS
Earlier this fall, the University of Virginia announced a two-year study
the Mellon Foundation is enabling, comparing usage and costs between
electronic texts and original printed editions of rare early American
fiction.
The Electronic Archive of Early American Fiction will consist of 582
digitized works published between 1775 and 1850, ranging from the earliest
American novels, such as Susanna Rowson's "Charlotte" (1791), to Nathaniel
Hawthorne's "Scarlet Letter." All the texts will be taken from rare first
editions in the Library's Special Collections Department. As most of the
books are fragile, scanning will take place in the Library's Special
Collections Digital Center, using a specially adapted camera that will
produce high quality reproductions on a computer monitor.
At issue is to see how rare materials can be distributed widely online and
if rare research materials can be made available at a reasonable cost on
the Web. Under an evaluation phase in 1998, teachers and students will be
asked to compare factors like ease of use of original rare books and of
their electronic surrogates.
For further information contact: David Seaman, [log in to unmask],
(804) 924-3230, or see http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/eaf/
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CONFERENCES:
A late reminder that the SGML '96 conference is being held November 18-21,
1996, at the
Sheraton Boston Hotel and Towers, in Boston, MA. Streams are organized
under Newcomer, User andExpert. Full information is available on the
Graphic Communications Association web page: http://www.gca.org/
Further away is the 7th International Conference on Theoretical and
Methodological Issues in Machine Translation, next July 24-28, in Santa Fe,
New Mexico. The conference marks the approximate 50th anniversary of Warren
Weaver's memo that launched modern machine translation research and is
organized under the themes of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. A call for
papers is now out (deadline Feb. 17). Details on submissions can be found
at www.ccl.umist.ac.uk/staff/harold/TMI/.
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