ACRL New England Chapter News Online

ISSN 1527-0106

Spring 2005, Number 105

In This Issue (Home):

President's Letter

ACRL/NEC Retreat

Librarian of the Year Award

Communications Cte. Co-Chair Needed

Legislative Report

Women's Studies Summer Retreat

Interest Group Reports:
Information Technology (ITIG)
Library Instruction (NELIG)
Women's Studies

Board Meeting Minutes, March 9th, 2005 (.pdf)

Calendar Listings

ALA Legislative Days 2005

Suzanne Wones, Kennedy School of Government Library
Harvard University, Cambridge MA
ACRL/NEC Legislative Representative

The first week of May this year the ALA sponsored it's annual Legislative Days to lobby congress on behalf of America's Libraries and I was one of hundreds of librarians who joined them in Washington DC.

In the first session on Tuesday morning, we were informed that ALA President Carol Brey-Casiano had met with Attorney General Gonzalez to discuss Section 215 of the Patriot Act. Unlike his predecessor, Gonzalez was willing to listen to the ALA's concerns regarding the Patriot Act and expressed interest in continuing a dialog with ALA. The key issues being addressed this year were: appropriations; the USA PATRIOT ACT and privacy; access to Government Information and FOIA; copyright; and the E-Rate and Universal Service

Appropriations
President Bush designated $221.33 million for the Library Services and Technology Act in his proposed budget. ALA is asking Congress to support this funding level which will support funding for libraries across the county. However where the President earmarked just 19 million for Literacy Through School Libraries portion of No Child Left Behind, the ALA is requesting $100 million so that the state allocation formula will go into effect for all 50 states.

USA PATRIOT ACT and Privacy
The ALA is hoping to amend the USA PATRIOT ACT to protect civil liberties and to balance security and freedom. The Security and Freedom Enhancement (SAFE) Act is a bipartisan bill that revises some portions of the USA PATRIOT ACT and also adds some checks and balances for the expanded authorities granted by the first Act.

To protect the privacy of library users, the ALA opposes the Real ID Act that would require states to use standardized machine-readable driver's licenses and personal ID cards. This Act makes proof of legal immigration a requirement for a driver's license. Since many public library's use driver's licenses as a means of identification to obtain a library card, this could prevent non-US persons form getting access to public libraries.

Access to Government Information and FOIA
In the interest of preserving access to government information the ALA is supporting three Acts, the "Restore FOIA Act" the "Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National (OPEN) Government Act of 2005," and the "Faster FOIA" Act of 2005. The first of these restores accountability of the government for records submitted to it by the private sector and removes restrictions on the government's ability to act in response to the information it receives. The OPEN Act strengthens FOIA and the Faster FOIA Act seeks to establish a commission to conduct a study of ways to reduce delays in the processing of FOIA requests.

Copyright
In addition to thanking our Representatives and Senators for supporting the Family and Entertainment Copyright Act of 2005, ALA is asking House members to cosponsor H.R. 1201. The Digital Media Consumers Rights Act of 2005 in intended to protect fair use in the digital age.

E-Rate and Universal Service
The good news here is that the E-rate telecommunications discount program continues to be supported. Our charge this Legislative Day was to thank our members of congress for supporting the E-rate and to remind them that without it public libraries and school could not afford to provide telecommunications and Internet access in the vast majority of towns and classrooms.

For more information about these issues and other areas of advocacy, consult the ALA's Washington Office's Issues page at http://www.ala.org/ala/washoff/WOissues/issues.htm.