ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


184

W A S H I N G T O N  H O T L I N E by Carol C. Henderson 
Deputy Director

ALA Washington Office

AT&T Tariff Developments. Sen. Larry Pressler (R-SD) sent a letter dated 
February 27 with 28 Senate signatures to Federal Communications Commission 
Chairman Mark Fowler * The letter recommended suspension of AT&T’s private 
line tariffs for further investigation and additional public input, or if the 
tariffs are to be approved by the FCC, phase-in of rate increases over a 2-3 
year period. Pressler also urged the FCC to consider the library private line 
service for libraries as he had requested last May in a letter with 27 Senate 
signatures. Attached to the February 27 letter was a library community posi­
tion paper spelling out the reasons for recommending suspension of the tariffs 
or, if necessary, phase-in of increases.

The February 27 Pressler letter was cosigned by Sens. Abdnor, Andrews, 
Baucus, Boschwitz, Bradley, Burdick, Dixon, Eagleton, Evans, Ford, Glenn,
Gore, Harkin, Hecht, Laxalt, Levin, Lugar, Melcher, Metzenbaum, Moynihan,
Pell, Quayle, Sarbanes, Simon, Stafford, Stennis, and Thurmond. The hundreds 
of constituent letters about the impact of the tariffs obviously prepared the 
way for such a good response. Letters of thanks from library constituents to 
these Senators would be appropriate.

Meanwhile, the pending tariffs for AT&T’s interstate private or leased 
line service (used by OCLC, RLG, and WLN for library bibliographic data 
transmission) have been deferred from March 4 to April 6, and revisions to the 
tariffs requested by AT&T are pending before the FCC. The pending revisions 
would mitigate slightly the impact of the tariffs on libraries which are, 
according to AT&T, among the customers who could experience the largest rate 
increases.

AT&T officials, in a meeting with library representatives on February 12, 
estimated the average impact on OCLC and RLG together to be 25.4 percent com­
pared with an average increase for all customers of 8.6 percent. OCLC estima­
tes indicated an average increase of 33 percent, with increases in some areas 
as high as 78 percent. AT&T says its revisions would mean for OCLC and RLG 
together a 21.9 increase, compared with a new figure of 7.6 percent for all 
customers. Additional reductions may be proposed before April 6.

Library of Congress Budget. Three librarians testified March 5 before 
the House Legislative Appropriations Subcommittee in support of the Library of 
Congress budget request of $253 million. Of the 5.7 percent increase over the 
previous year, 72 percent is needed to maintain current services. Increases 
are needed to continue acquiring Indian materials now that excess currencies 
in India will no longer be available, automate serials operations, and meet 
growing demand in special collections reading rooms.

Witnesses were Joseph Rosenthal, University Librarian at University of 
California, Berkeley, and Maureen Patterson, research associate at UC-Berkeley 
and recently retired South Asian Librarian, University of Chicago, both repre­
senting the Association of Research Libraries, and for ALA, Annalee Bundy, 
Providence (RI) Public Library Director.

Postal Subsidies. A 2-lb. 4th class library rate book package, which 
just went up from 47^ to 54^ on February 17, would go to at least 67^ (the 
full phased rate) and perhaps as high as 94^ (the full commercial rate) under 
the Administration’s budget, according to ALA Washington Office Director

(cont’d on p.218)



Supply
The Goldsmiths'-Kress Library 

of Economic Literature.
The G o ld sm ith s'-K re ss Library collection is rich in political, social, 

bu siness, and econom ic history.
Included in the m icropublishing are pre-1850 m onographs and 

pre-1906 serials from these two em inen t libraries. Su pplem ented by 
m aterials from Colum bia and Yale U niversities' libraries, it em erges as 
the m ost com plete collection of its kind, a m ajor resource for social 
scientists and historians as well as scholars of business and econom ics.

To facilitate acquisition, the collection has been restructured and 
divided into 80 subscription units.

Research Publications Outside North and South America 
12 Lunar Drive/Drawer AB P.O. Box 45

W oodbridge, CT 06525 Reading, RG1 8HF England 
(203) 397-2600 TEL: 0734-583247 

TWX: 710-465-6345 TELEX: 848336 NADL G
FAX: 203-397-3893

research publications®