ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


2 7 4 /C&RL News

Washington 
Hotline

Lynne E. B radley

The “First 100 Days” proceed 
with minimal support for li­
brary programs at the fed­
eral level. The “First 60 Days” 
have brought m ajor rescis­
sion proposals for FY 1995 
funds, which is a poor pre­
ced ent for the already bleak 
outlook for library programs 
in the FY 1996 budget.

Library program  
rescissions pending
A consolidated rescission bill 
has b e e n  rep orted  b y  the 
House Appropriations Committee. The Com­
mittee report is not yet published so no bill 
num ber is available at this time. T he bill is e x ­
pected to go to the House floor March 15 and 
includes $34.7 million in rescissions to library 
programs.

Included in the proposed rescission are HEA 
II-B  for Library Education and Training and 
II-B for Library Research/Demonstrations. The 
first helps recruit students to library science, 
especially in areas with critical shortages such 
as childrens’ librarians and technology, and mi­
nority librarians. T he Com mittee proposal to 
rescind the full $6.5 million for research and 
dem onstrations is not possible becau se $5 mil­
lion o f these funds have already b e e n  spent in 
two recent statewide fiber optic network awards 
(to Iow a and West Virginia). The remaining $1.5 
million is to b e awarded in May for a d em on­
stration project making federal information and 
other databases available for public use by c o n ­
necting a multistate consortium o f public and 
private colleges and universities to a public li­
brary and an historic library.

Action n e e d e d E: very congressional office 
should hear from library supporters in opposi­
tion to all the m ajor cuts and rescissions to li­
brary programs. Grassroots action is need ed  in 
both  the House and the Senate. T h e Capitol 
switchboard phone numbers are: (202) 225-3121 
for H ouse offices; (2 0 2 ) 224-3121 for Senate 
offices.

A com plete report o f all proposed rescis­
s io n s  to  th e  v a rio u s  lib r a ry  p ro g ra m s  is 
available in the February 22, 1995, issue o f the

Lynne E. Bradley is deputy executive director o f  ALA ’s 
Washington Office; e-mail: leb@alawash.org

ALA W a s h in g t o n  O f f ic e  
Newsletter.

ALA disag rees w ith 
copyright paper
ALA and several other library 
and education groups have 
e x p r e s s e d  c o n c e r n  a b o u t 
press and other reports that 
the recom m endations in the 
final version o f the “G reen 
P a p e r ” b y  th e  A d m in i­
stration’s W orking Group on 
Intellectual Property Rights 
will not b e  significantly dif­

ferent from the preliminary version released in 
Ju ly 1994. A February 14 letter from the groups 
to Sally Katzen, administrator o f  the O ffice o f 
Managem ent and B udget’s O ffice o f Informa­
tio n  and  R eg u latory  A ffairs, an d  to B ru c e  
Lehman, com m issioner o f Patents and Trade­
marks, summ arized significant points o f  dis­
agreem ent with the analysis in the G reen Pa­
p e r , n o t o n ly  b y  lib r a r y  a n d  e d u c a tio n  
organizations, but by distinguished copyright 
exp erts and private sec to r entities. Lehman 
chairs the w orking group, on e o f  several under 
an information policy com m ittee head ed  by 
Katzen.

• Electronic Transmission Right: Library 
groups argued that the G reen Paper w ent too 
far in extending the exclusive rights o f cop y­
right holders and paid only superficial atten­
tion to the needs o f users o f  electronic infor­
mation.

• First Sale Doctrine: The library groups op­
posed the G reen Paper’s proposed abolition of 
the first sale doctrine for electronic informa­
tion becau se it would effectively give copyright 
ow ners m on op oly con trol o f the second ary 
market.

T he library groups requested a m eeting with 
Katzen and Lehman, urged the W orking Group 
to give full consideration to all the arguments 
that have been  presented, and asked them to 
reflect these arguments in revised recom m en­
dations in the final report. Groups signing the 
letter included the American Association o f Law 
Libraries, ALA, the A ssociation o f  A cadem ic 
Health Sciences Library Directors, the Associa­
tion o f  American Universities, ACRL, ARL, the 
M edical Library Association, and the Special 
Libraries Association. ■

mailto:leb@alawash.org