ALAWON v4n24 (March 17, 1995)
URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v4n24

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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 24
                              March 17, 1995
 
   In this issue: (169 lines)
     SENATE TO MARK UP TELECOMMUNICATIONS BILL - ACTION NEEDED
     FREEDOM OF INFORMATION DAY AWARDS ANNOUNCED
     AMERICAN'S CAN'T WAIT - LIBRARY ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED
 
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         SENATE TO MARK UP TELECOMMUNICATIONS BILL - ACTION NEEDED
 
Telecommunications reform legislation has not been officially introduced in
the House or Senate yet this year but rumors are circulating that a
bipartisan bill may be introduced as early as this coming Monday, March 20.
The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee could proceed
with a mark up this coming week on some kind of bipartisan bill.
 
As previously reported in ALAWON, Senator Pressler (R-SD) and Senator
Hollings (D-SC) each have distributed draft bills which staff members in
both Houses of Congress have been working on for several weeks.
 
Some observers are seriously concerned that the "public interest"
provisions in the Democratic draft, while not perfect, could be compromised
away in the attempts to get some agreement on the "big" issues and to push
forward this reform legislation to increase competition and provide for
major deregulation.  Two critical public access provisions that should be
retained in any telecommunications reform package, are 1) access to
telecommunications networks by public telecommunications users including
libraries, schools and community organizations and 2) the prevention of
electronic redlining.
 
There is concern that the Committee could proceed without taking any action
to ensure that community users have affordable access to new
telecommunications services or to prevent discrimination in
telecommunications development.  Some reports suggest that the Senate
Subcommittee on Communications may reject the Senator Hollings' proposal to
give community organizations access to the new telecommunications networks
at affordable rates.
 
ACTION NEEDED:  Library supporters should contact members of the Senate
Commerce Subcommittee on Communications as well as members of the full
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.  Ask that they
include strong language to ensure that public telecommunications users,
such as libraries, schools and other community users, can provide the
necessary educational informational, cultural, civic or charitable services
in particular communities at affordable rates.  Strong anti-redlining
protection should also be included. Reform legislation must not foreclose
the opportunities to get access to the information superhighway.
 
ALAWON will publish the pertinent bill number and related information as
soon as it is available.  Supporters should contact the Senators, by Monday
if possible, since the bill may be submitted and marked up quickly in the
coming week.  Senator Pressler's Committee office is 202-224-5115; Senator
Hollings' Committee office phone number is 202-224-9340.  Senator Robert
Packwood (R-OR) is chair of the Subcommittee on Communications.  Other
Republican members of the subcommittee are:  Stevens (AK), McCain (AZ),
Burns (MT), Gorton (WA), Lott (MS) and Ashcroft (MO).  Democratic members,
in addition to Hollings, are:  Inouye (HI); Ford (KY), Exon (NE), Kerry
(MA), Breaux (LA), and Rockefeller (WV).
 
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                FREEDOM OF INFORMATION DAY AWARDS ANNOUNCED
 
The Government Printing Office (GPO), the State of Maryland's Sailor
Project, the Seattle (Wash.) Public Library and the Internet Multicasting
Service's Town Hall project, based in Washington, D.C., are the 1995
recipients of the James Madison Awards, sponsored by the Coalition on
Government Information (COGI).  The awards were presented on March 15
during a ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
 
Nancy Kranich, chair of COGI, and a member of the ALA Executive Board
presented the awards.  ALA President-elect Betty Turock was also present to
congratulate the award winners and to announce the kick-off of ALA's
"American's Can't Wait - Library Advocacy Now!" campaign, a major element
in ALA's "Goal 2000" proposals.
 
The James Madison awards are given by coalition on "Freedom of Information
Day", March 16, which is Madison's birthday.  (The awards reception was a
day early this year.)  The coalition, founded by ALA in 1986, presents the
annual award in connection with Freedom of Information Day on March 16 to
recognize outstanding efforts to protect and promote public access to
government information.
 
The Government Printing Office was cited for the GPO Access system which
provides broad public access to computerized federal government information
including the Congressional Record, the Federal Register, and other
Congressional publications.
 
The State of Maryland's Sailor Project was honored for its pioneering
efforts to provide all state residents with rapid, easy access to
government documents via the Internet at libraries throughout the state.
Maryland is the first state to offer all residents no-cost access to the
Internet via libraries.
 
The Seattle Public Library was recognized as a leader in providing public
access to all kinds and levels of government information.  The library was
among the country's first outlets for the GPO Access System.  It hosts the
Washington Information Network Kiosk giving library users access to a
variety of state government information and also offers access to local
government information through the City's Public Access Network.  Seattle
is the first library to receive the James Madison Award.
 
The Internet Multicasting Service, begun in 1993, posts massive government
data archives including the Securities Exchange Commission EDGAR database
and the U.S. Patent Trademark PTO database onto the Internet free of
charge.  Hailed as  a "major shift" in the way government information s
made available to the public, the project distributes close to 15,000
documents daily.
 
The members of COGI represent a wide range of interests including law,
medicine, science and consumer rights.  They include the American
Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society of
Journalists and Authors, the National Association of Counties, the National
Consumers League and the National Security Archive.
 
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        AMERICAN'S CAN'T WAIT - LIBRARY ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED
 
ALA's new "American's Can't Wait - Library Advoacy Now" campaign is part of
ALA's Goal 2000 efforts to make the voice of ALA and libraries heard where
information policies are developed.  In kicking off the new campaign at the
James Madison Awards program on March 15, ALA President-elect Betty Turock
emphasized how important the Goal 2000 program is.  She added that ALA and
the voice of the American people are "outnumbered, outspent and - too often
- absent" at the "tables" where information policies are developed.  Many
of those developing information policy have "deep pockets and cadres of
lawyers and staff to defend their interests."   ALA has proposed to change
this by expanding its existing role as a voice of the American people.
 
Turock urged ALA members to vote in favor of a proposed dues increase on
the spring elections ballot.  She added that the increase in funds would be
devoted exclusively to strengthening the ALA Washington Office and
establishing an Office for Information Technology Policy.
 
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ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is an irregular publication of the American Library
Association Washington Office, 110 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Washington, DC
20002-5675.  Internet: alawash@alawash.org; Phone: 202-547-4440;
Fax: 202-547-7363.  Editor: Lynne E. Bradley (leb@alawash.org).
 
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