ALAWON v4n94 (November 131995, )
URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v4n94

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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 94
                        November 13,1995

In this issue: (230 lines)
     LIBRARY GROUPS RECOMMEND LSTA COMPROMISE TO CONFEREES -
          ACTION NEEDED: EXPRESS SUPPORT OF LIBRARY COMMUNITY
 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FINAL HOUSE-SENATE             CONFERENCE VERSION OF
 LSTA IN H.R. 1617

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    LIBRARY GROUPS RECOMMEND LSTA COMPROMISE TO CONFEREES -
                         ACTION NEEDED

HOUSE AND SENATE VERSIONS OF H.R. 1617:  Both House and Senate
have passed legislation in recent months that would continue a
reconfigured federal role in support of libraries.  In this much
changed political climate, that is a tribute to the concerted
efforts of many library advocates throughout the country.   The
library provisions are, for the most part, a reorganization and
simplification of the Library Services and Construction Act as
the Library Services and Technology Act.

However, both House and Senate versions of H.R. 1617, the large
job training and adult education consolidation bill in which the
library provisions are embedded, would rearrange or reduce the
federal role in support of libraries.

The House bill would do this by repealing the Higher Education
Act library programs and the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act III-F program of assistance for school library media
resources.  The ESEA school library program was just enacted in
1994 and has not yet been funded.  The House approach would
authorize $110 million for an LSTA-like program of assistance
through state library agencies for technology-based assistance
for libraries.

The Senate bill incorporates a more comprehensive federal library
role, leaving the ESEA school library program untouched, and
incorporating a simplified HEA II-like program as a setaside
within LSTA for a national leadership program in library science
(for research/demonstrations, education/training, and
preservation/digitization).  The Senate version of LSTA would
authorize $150 million, mainly for assistance through state
library agencies for both technology and special services
assistance for libraries, but also with several small setasides.

The Senate also added some unexpected touches to its version of
LSTA.  The library programs would be administered, not by the
Department of Education, but by a new Institute of Museum and
Library Services.  The National Commission on Libraries and
Information Science would serve an advisory role to the Institute
Director on library programs, similar to the role of the National
Museum Services Board regarding museum grant programs
administered by the current Institute of Museum Services.

Thus both bills elicit praise and concern from various parts of
the library community.  The House bill is simple and
straightforward, with a federal role easy to understand and
defend in today's political climate.  However, it would reduce
the current level of funding significantly (from $142 million to
a maximum of $110 million), and would eliminate other library
programs important to the library community.  The Senate bill
incorporates the full LSTA proposal developed by the American
Library Association, the Chief Officers of State Library
Agencies, and the Urban Libraries Council, leaves intact or
reinvents other federal library programs, but changes the home of
the program in a way that some have considered controversial.

LIBRARY RECOMMENDATIONS TO CONFEREES:  The crucial final stage of
this legislative process has begun--a House-Senate conference to
work out differences between the two versions of H.R. 1617.  ALA,
COSLA, and ULC have recommended a proposed compromise to the
congressional conferees that attempts to incorporate the
strengths of both approaches.  The proposed compromise is
designed:

  o  to promote enactment of an effective, appropriate, and
     responsible federal library program;
  o  to retain provisions that would enable all three library
     groups that developed LSTA to support the resulting
     conference recommendations;
  o  to be realistic in light of the political context
     surrounding the legislation; and
  o  to enable library legislative champions in both parties and
     in both House and Senate to support the recommendations.

The recommendations incorporate the following features:

  1. Retains the state-based approach of both bills--sending most
     funds through state library agencies to allow maximum
     flexibility and encourage partnerships to meet differing
     needs for library service in the states and localities.

  2. Retains the fuller federal role of S. 143--with an
     authorization level that accommodates a small amount of
     direct federal assistance for national needs and special
     projects in libraries, special demonstrations, education and
     training programs, and preservation of library materials.
     Retains ESEA III-F school library resources program as an
     authorized program.

  3. Retains the Senate bill's structure, with library programs
     administered by an Institute of Museum and Library Services,
     in order to retain the Senate's more comprehensive federal
     role.

  4. Shortens, simplifies, and reduces the bureaucratic
     requirements of the LSTA provisions, in order to retain the
     House bill's simplicity.

  5. Retains House and Senate emphasis on workforce and economic
     development, and literacy and lifelong learning, while
     maintaining a balance between stimulating technology
     infrastructure for libraries, and assistance to those who
     need special help for access to library services and
     information technologies.

OUTLOOK:  The library community's recommendations have been
shared with congressional staff of House-Senate conference
leaders.  The reaction has been positive.  One key Senate staffer
asked if she could use the library document as a model for other
groups.  No other constituency has come together with joint
recommendations, and this staffer was impressed with the result
and grateful to the library organizations.

Nevertheless, House-Senate conferees are not likely to accept
every aspect of the library recommendations.  Some legislators
will want to make changes; some differences are bound to occur
during hard negotiations on these large bills.  Neither are all
parts of the library recommendations supported equally
enthusiastically by all library constituencies.  However, the
three groups have come together to maintain the strength of unity
from the library community that has characterized the development
of the LSTA proposal.

ACTION NEEDED:  Your help is needed at this final key stage in
the renewal of the major federal role in support of libraries.
Your support of library community recommendations for the final
House-Senate conference version of LSTA in H.R. 1617 is crucial.
Please respond and spread the word to other library advocates.  A
quick and widespread response to this action call will make a
major difference.  The future of federal assistance for improved
library service is at stake!  Thank you for your help on this
important issue.

MESSAGE TO CONGRESS:  All library advocates should contact their
Senators and Representatives to urge that the House-Senate
conference committee on H.R. 1617 incorporate the library
community recommendations in their final joint version of H.R.
1617.  It is especially important that library constituents of
House-Senate conferees contact these key legislators immediately.

SENATE CONFEREES:  Senate conferees on H.R. 1617 were named on
October 19, and include all members of the Labor and Human
Resources Committee  and its Subcommittee on Education, Arts and
Humanities:

Nancy Kassebaum (R-KS), chair, full committee
Jim Jeffords (R-VT), chair, subcommittee
Dan Coats (R-IN)
Judd Gregg (R-NH)
Bill Frist (R-TN)
Mike DeWine (R-OH)
John Ashcroft (R-MO)
Spencer Abraham (R-MI)
Slade Gorton (R-WA)

Edward Kennedy (D-MA), ranking minority member, full committee
Claiborne Pell (D-RI), ranking minority member, subcommittee
Christopher Dodd (D-CT)
Paul Simon (D-IL)
Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
Paul Wellstone (D-MN)

HOUSE CONFEREES:  House conferees have not yet been named, but
will be appointed from members of the Economic and Educational
Opportunities Committee.  This is a large committee; rather than
attempt to predict which members will be conferees, a few key
members with a special interest in or influence on the library
provisions are listed below:

William Goodling (R-PA), chair, full committee
Randy (Duke) Cunningham (R-CA), chair,
     Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth and Families
Steve Gunderson (R-WI)
Michael Castle (R-DE)

Dale Kildee (D-MI), ranking minority member,
     Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth and Families
Pat Williams (D-MT), ranking minority member,
     Subcom. on Postsec. Educ., Training and Lifelong Learning
Major Owens (D-NY), ranking minority member,
     Subcommittee on Worker Protections
Jack Reed (D-RI)
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ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is an irregular publication of the
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Contributing to this issue: Carol C. Henderson; Editor: Lynne E.
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