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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
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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]
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Lynne E. Bradley, Editor <[log in to unmask]>
Deirdre Herman, Managing Editor <[log in to unmask]> =20
Contributors: Anne Heanue
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