ALAWON v4n103 (December 8, 1995)
URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v4n103

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                                                   ISSN 1069-7799
                             ALAWON
                 ALA Washington Office Newsline
               An electronic publication of the
         American Library Association Washington Office

                      Volume 4, Number 103
                        December 8, 1995

In this issue: (185 lines)
     TELECOMMUNICATIONS REFORM CONFEREES CONTINUE SLIDE TOWARD        INTERNET
 CENSORSHIP PROVISIONS
     GPO PROVIDES FREE ACCESS TO ALL GPO ACCESS DATABASES
     WASHINGTON OFFICE ANNOUNCES DIVISIONAL LIAISONS
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    TELECOMMUNICATIONS REFORM CONFEREES CONTINUE SLIDE TOWARDINTERNET CENSORSHIP
 PROVISIONS

As recently reported, House telecommunications reform conferees
agreed on Wednesday, December 6, to adopt stiff new criminal
penalties for the knowing use of an interactive computer system
to either send "indecent" material to persons under 18, or to
send such material  to another computer system "in a manner
available for display" to minors.  In so acting, the House
conferees accepted Rep. Bob Goodlatte's (R-VA) modification to a
similar measure authored by Rep. Rick White (R-WA).
Significantly, Mr. White's proposal based the new criminal
penalties on transmission of the more limited category of
material deemed "harmful to minors," a legal standard already in
use in 48 states.

Late yesterday evening, December 7, online service industry
representatives met with staff to both Reps. White and Goodlatte
in an effort to craft a definition of "indecent" material that
would not effectively censor the Internet.  They did not succeed.
As a result, Rep. White has committed himself to calling publicly
for the inclusion of the "harmful to minors" standard in the
final formulation of the telecommunications reform bill yet to be
negotiated "between" the House and Senate conferees.  They are
now expected to meet Tuesday, December 12, for this purpose.

In the interim, online service providers and other media
corporations are expected to press Senate conferees, including
the authors of the Senate's "indecency"-based bill (Sens. Exon
and Coats), to accept Rep. White's "compromise" formulation.
ALA, in concert with other major library and educational groups
have called -- and will continue to call -- on Congress not to
adopt any new criminal penalties affecting Internet and other
computer-facilitated communications.  If, and only if, Congress
believes that it must legislate, ALA has alerted conferees by
many means that Rep. White's proposal would result in less -- but
still unacceptable -- potential liability for librarians and
educators.

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      GPO PROVIDES FREE ACCESS TO ALL GPO ACCESS DATABASES

The U.S. Government Printing Office announced free use of GPO
Access online services beginning December 1, 1995.  All Internet
and dial-in users can receive electronically, at no charge, the
Congressional Record, Federal Register, congressional bills, and
a growing list of  government documents on the same day of
publication.

Until now, GPO Access has been free only to users on-site in some
600 of the Nation's nearly 1,400 Federal Depository Libraries and
to remote users connecting through more than 20 depository
library "gateways."  It was available to others on a subscription
basis.  Under the new program, the subscription fee has been
dropped.

GPO Access currently includes the following databases:

Congressional Bills           (103d and 104th Congress)
Congressional Calendars       (104th Congress)
Congressional Directory       (1995-96)
Congressional Documents       (104th Congress)
Congressional Record          (103d and 104th Congress)
Congressional Record Indexes  (1992-1995)
Congressional Reports         (104th Congress)
Economic Indicators           (April 1995 forward)
Federal Register              (1994 and 1995)
GAO Reports                   (FY 1995 forward)
Government Manual             (1995-96)
History of Bills              (103d and 104th Congress)
Public Laws                   (104th Congress)
Unified Agenda                (1994 and 1995)
U.S. Code                     (basic)

GPO Access can be reached via the Internet or by dial-in through
a modem.  The following access methods are as follows:
URL: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/
WAIS client software
Telnet: swais.access.gpo.gov; then login as guest.
Dial-in: 202-512-1661; type swais and then log in as guest.


In more than 20 States, users with modems can connect to GPO
Access through depository library "gateways" with a local phone
call.  Listings of depository libraries and "gateways" can be
found on the Superintendent of Documents' home page.  General
information on accessing these databases is available by e-mail:
help@eids05.eids.gpo.gov ; phone: 202-512-1530; or
fax: 202-512-1262.  Questions about the GPO Access service can
also be directed to a nearby Federal Depository Library.  At
least one such library is located in each Congressional district.

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        WASHINGTON OFFICE ANNOUNCES DIVISIONAL LIAISONS

ALA Washington Office Executive Director Carol Henderson recently
announced the appointment of WO liaisons to several ALA
divisions.

Lynne Bradley, Deputy Executive Director of the Washington
Office, will serve as liaison to ALA's Association of College and
Research Libraries, and to the Public Library Association.
Lynne's prior experience includes service in academic and public
libraries, as well as running a cooperative multi-county library
video network, and serving in local elected public office.

Mary Costabile, Assistant Director of the Washington Office, will
serve as liaison to ALA's three youth divisions--the American
Association of School Librarians, the Association for Library
Service to Children, and the Young Adult Library Services
Association.  At the WO, Mary has worked closely on legislative
elements of the children and youth initiative from the 1991 White
House Conference on Library and Information Services, including
enactment of the 1994 ESEA school library resources program, and
the emphasis on services to children in the pending renewal of
LSCA as the Library Services and Technology Act.  Her prior
experience includes serving as a state-level legislative
assistant, and working with at-risk youth as a liaison for a
foster-care review board.

The WO liaisons will work with division staff and division
legislation committees to keep them informed, will attend
appropriate division meetings, and will alert Washington
coalitions about divisional concerns.  In turn, the divisions
will keep the WO liaisons informed about specific issues, and
will continue their liaison with the ALA Committee on Legislation
through representatives to the Legislation Assembly.

The liaison appointments are part of an effort by Henderson and
ALA Executive Director Elizabeth Martinez to provide deeper
coordination between ALA's staff expertise in Chicago and its
expanding Washington presence to more effectively pursue ALA Goal
2000--to promote the public's right to an free and open
information society.

E-mail addresses for these staff members are: Bradley -leb@alawash.org.
 Costabile - mrc@alawash.org.
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ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is an irregular publication of the
American Library Association Washington Office, 1301 Pennsylvania
Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004.  Internet:
alawash@alawash.org; Phone: 202-628-8410; Fax: 202-628-8419.
Contributing to this issue: Carol C. Henderson, Adam M. Eisgrau,
Anne A. Heanue and Claudette W. Tennant; Editor: Lynne E. Bradley
(leb@alawash.org).

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