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----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ARLIS/NA Colleagues -- Immediate action is urged to support the reforms included in S. 2288, Wendell H. Ford Government Publications Reform Act of 1998, which is scheduled for mark-up on September 10. More information is available below. Katherine Poole ARLIS/NA Public Policy Committee ------- Forwarded Message Date: Tue, 08 Sep 1998 17:16:03 -0400 From: "ALAWASH E-MAIL (ALAWASH E-MAIL)" <[log in to unmask]> To: ALA Washington Office Newsline <[log in to unmask]> Subject: ALAWON v7, n101- URGENT ACTION ALERT: S. 2288; INTERNET TEACH-INS _________________________________________________________________ ALAWON Volume 7, Number 101 ISSN 1069-7799 September 8, 1998 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: (198 lines) - - URGENT ACTION ALERT: S. 2288 IN JEOPARDY -- CALLS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY TO GATHER SUPPORT FOR GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS REFORM BILL - - LIBRARIES URGED TO INVITE ELECTED OFFICIALS TO AMERICA LINKS UP INTERNET TEACH-INS _________________________________________________________________ URGENT ACTION ALERT: S. 2288 IN JEOPARDY -- CALLS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY TO GATHER SUPPORT FOR GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS REFORM BILL ACTION NEEDED: S. 2288, the Wendell H. Ford Government Publications Reform Act of 1998 is scheduled for mark-up on Thursday, September 10 in the = Senate Rules and Administration Committee. The bill is facing serious opposition from a number of groups, primarily the executive branch and those whose interests are in the sale of duplicating machines to federal agencies and = in the privatization of government publications. Strong grassroots action is needed to counter this opposition and urge Senators to support S. 2288 which includes much- needed reforms to improve and enhance public access to government information. Contact your Senators today and urge them to = cosponsor S. 2288, the Wendell H. Ford Government Publications Reform Act of = 1998.=20 Immediate action is especially important if your Senator is a member of = the Committee on Rules and Administration (see list below). An easy way to contact Senators is through the ALA Washington Office Legislative Action Center at http://congress.nw.dc.us/ala/. REASONS TO SUPPORT S. 2288: In a fax or phone call, explain to your Senator that: * S. 2288 supports good government and an informed citizenry by improving public access to government information. * S. 2288 will resolve the "fugitive documents" problem and stop the erosion of public access to government publications taking place under the current system. The bill will ensure that the public has access to government information paid for at = taxpayer expense. * S. 2288 will ensure that electronic government publications are preserved and permanently available for current and future users. This will address the current loss of government information taking place on a daily basis as agencies delete files from their Web sites without first providing for ongoing access. SENATE COMMITTEE ON RULES AND ADMINISTRATION ST PTY SENATOR PHONE FAX AK R Ted Stevens 224-3004 224-2354 CA D Dianne Feinstein 224-3841 228-3954 CT D Christopher J. Dodd 224-2823 224-1083 HI D Daniel K. Inouye 224-3934 224-6747 KY D Wendell H. Ford, ranking min. 224-4343 224-0046 KY R Mitch McConnell 224-2541 224-2499 MS R Thad Cochran 224-5054 224-9450 MS R Trent Lott 224-6253 224-2262 NJ D Robert G. Torricelli 224-3224 224-8567 NY D Daniel Patrick Moynihan 224-4451 228-0406 NC R Jesse A. Helms 224-6342 224-7588 OK R Don Nickles 224-5754 224-6008 PA R Rick Santorum 224-6324 228-0604 TX R Kay Bailey Hutchison 224-5922 224-0776 VA R John W. Warner, chairman 224-2023 224-6295 WV D Robert C. Byrd 224-3954 228-0002 BACKGROUND: S. 2288, the Wendell H. Ford Government Publications Reform Act of 1998, was introduced on July 10, 1998, by Sens. John Warner (R-VA) and Wendell Ford (D-KY). The bill represents a bipartisan, consensus-building approach to reforming Title 44 of the United State Code = to strengthen the Federal Depository Library Program and to improve and = enhance public access to government publications from all three branches of = government regardless of format. This bill is the result of more than 19 months of negotiations between Senate staff and various stakeholders. The library community, through the representatives of the Inter-Association Working = Group on Government Information Policy (IAWG), has had a significant role in the development of S. 2288. Among the key provisions of the bill, S. 2288 would close the loopholes in the current law that deny the public access to "fugitive" documents, and establish strong enforcement mechanisms that would ensure compliance with the program from all three branches of government. Further, S. 2288 would empower the new presidentially-appointed Superintendent of Government Publications Access Programs (as the Superintendent of Documents would become) with the responsibility and authority to establish = a system to ensure permanent public access to electronic publications for current and future generations. The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration (see list of members above) held a hearing on S. 2288 on July 29. Three library representatives -- Barbara Ford, immediate-past president of ALA; Bob Oakley, Washington affairs representative for the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL); and Daniel O'Mahony, IAWG chair -- testified in support of the bill. In addition, others testifying in support of the bill included representatives from the Government Printing Office, the Council of GPO Unions, the Communications Workers of America, the Information Industry Association, the Printing Industries of America, and OMB Watch. Opposition to S. 2288 has been raised by the Coalition for Government Procurement, the Information Technology Industry Council, and other private sector industry groups whose members include companies that sell duplicating equipment to federal agencies (e.g., Xerox Corporation). Private publishers who have developed partnership arrangements with federal agencies for the sale or privatization of government information (e.g., McGraw-Hill) also are = opposed to the bill. The library community's message in response to this opposition is that S. = 2288 is designed to close the loopholes currently in place that inhibit public access to government publications. One of the main objectives of the bill = is to ensure that all appropriate material is available to the public through = the Federal Publications Access Program proposed in S. 2288. (When the bill is enacted, the Federal Publications Access Program would replace the Federal Depository Library Program). For more information about S. 2288, including sample letters, talking points, and additional background information, please consult the Web site of the Inter-Association Working Group on Government Information Policy (IAWG) at: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/IAWG. _________________________________________________________________ LIBRARIES URGED TO INVITE ELECTED OFFICIALS TO AMERICA LINKS UP INTERNET TEACH-INS ACTION NEEDED: Local libraries hosting Internet teach-ins for parents are urged to invite local, state and national elected officials. The America Links Up campaign, which launches September 15 and runs through the school year, is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate how librarians are taking = a leadership role in educating their communities about the Internet. BACKGROUND: America Links Up will kick off on September 15, 1998 with a National Town Hall Meeting in Washington, D.C., and will be followed up = with events in local libraries, schools and community centers across the = country. September 14-20 is America Links Up: A Kids Online Teach-In. America Links Up is a series of educational events designed to help kids, parents, teachers and others learn how to use the Internet safely and productively. ALA is a sponsor of the campaign.=20 As part of the U.S. Department of Education's America Goes Back to School program, America Links Up will give adults and children across the country = the opportunity to attend sessions and learn: Internet basics; tools that = promote safe, rewarding online experiences; information about good quality content = and how to use it; and ways families can safely navigate their way around this = new medium. To register your participation, go to http://www.americalinksup.org. Tips = and other helpful information for libraries are posted on the ALA Web site at http://www.ala.org/teach-in/. A free poster/tip sheet is available from = the ALA Public Information Office at [log in to unmask] _________________________________________________________________ ALAWON is a free, irregular publication of the American Library Association= Washington Office. To subscribe, send the message: subscribe ala-wo [your_firstname] [your_lastname] to [log in to unmask] To unsubscribe, go = to http://www.ala.org/washoff/subscribe.html or send the message: = unsubscribe ala-wo to [log in to unmask] ALAWON archives at http://www.ala.o= rg/washoff/alawon. Visit our Web site at http://www.alawash.org.=20 ALA Washington Office 202.628.8410 (V) 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #403 202.628.8419 (F) Washington, DC 20004-1701 800.941.8478 (V) Lynne E. Bradley, Editor <[log in to unmask]> Deirdre Herman, Managing Editor <[log in to unmask]> =20 Contributors: Anne Heanue All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may = be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. _________________________________________________________________ ------- End of Forwarded Message