2004 ALA Legislative Day Report
LACUNY Legislative Action Committee
Report of LACUNY Legislative Action Committee Participation in ALA National Library Legislation Day, May 4th, 2004.
Only two members of the committee went to Washington this year, Charles Stewart (CCNY) and Shelly Warwick (Queens, GSLIS). Two other had originally expressed interest in participation but had schedule changes that did not allow them to do so.
Since both delegates had participated in the event before they did not attend the Sunday program for first timers, but arrived in Washington early Monday, May 3rd, for the briefing sessions which began at 10:15 with an overview of appropriations issues, followed by a session on Surveillance, Privacy and the Patriot Act.
At 12:05 pm the ACRL provided a luncheon featuring talks by Tyrone Cannon, ACRL President, Emily Sheketoff, Associate Executive Director of ALA, and Mark Smith, Director of Government Relations for the American Association of University Professors. The central topic was discussion of the ACRL legislative agenda. The items on the agenda are as follows:
Intellectual property & Technology
Anti-circumvention – need to modify the DMCA
Database Protection – prevent new laws that will protect facts
Digital Rights management – need prevent legislation granting copyright holders downstream control over how works are used
Broadcast Flats – awaiting response from FCC to comments on how broadcast flags will prevent legitimate education uses
Distance Education – too much confusion regarding the TEACH Act – does not address electronic reserves. ACRL has issued a statement on fair use and educational reserves - http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/whitepapers/statementfair.htm
Public Domain – support two pending bills – HR2613 which would require that research substantially funded by public funds pass immediately into the public doman, and HR2601 which would require copyright holders who want the additional 20 years of protection to request such extension and pay a $1.00 fee. This would essentially leave most works in the public domain after 50 years.
2. Funding – support for bills funding the Library Services and Technology Act, the Federal Depository Library Program and Government Printing Office, Library of Congress, National Agricultural Library, National Library of Medicine
3. Access to Government Information
Presidential records – Need to repeal Executive Order 13233 which allows incumbent or former presidents to veto public release of material which were mandated by the Presidential Records Act
Support H.R. 3630 which would make the Congressional Research Service material available on the web. Congress had authorized a pilot program than pulled the plug. This bill would reinstate this value resource for government information.
GPO – need to work with new public printer to maintain a GPO model that retains and enhances no fee access to government information.
4. Intellectual Freedom and Privacy
USA Patriot Act – Issue of Section 215 which allows FBI to get library records – support legislation to amend the Act.
Homeland Security Act – undermines the accountability of government and prevents access to information, and might restrict access to maps and restrict journalists. ACRL was a signer on a letter to the Homeland Security secretary asking for to provide input on the procedures by which information is classified.
After lunch there were briefing on Copyright and the e-Rate, and access to government info.
Following the briefings the LACUNY delegation met with the other delegates from New York State to discuss legislative visits for the next day. NYLA had arranged a 10:00 AM appointment with Senator’s Clinton’s office and an 11:30 appointment with Senator Schumer’s office.
On Tuesday, in addition to the senate visits, LACUNY delegates brought academic library issues to the attention of Charles Rangel at 9:30, Jerold Nadler (staffer John Doty) at 11:00, and Anthony Weiner(staffer Marc Dunkelman) at 1:00 PM, plus the senate visits. Since the visits were concluded by 2:30 this year, the delegates elected not to stay for the final wrap-up reception, but took an early train home.
It is suggested that the LACUNY Legislative Action Committee consider organizing visits to the representatives with a CUNY college in their district at their local/district offices and discuss the ACRL legislation agenda with them.
Respectfully submitted,
Shelly Warwick
