****Begin File******************Begin File*******************Begin File**** *************************************************************************** ALAWON ALA Washington Office Newsline An electronic publication of the American Library Association Washington Office Volume 1, Number 5 August 5, 1992 In this issue: (191 lines) A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR ACTION NEEDED ON OMB CIRCULAR A-130 REVISION SENATE COMMITTEE AGREES TO ONE-YEAR FIX ON NONPROFIT POSTAL RATES JFK ASSASSINATION MATERIALS DISCLOSURE ACT TELECOMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES AND THEIR ROLE IN EDUCATION *************************************************************************** A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR As of Wednesday, August 5, 1992, the ALA Washington Office Newsline had 771 subscribers. We're delighted that so many people find ALAWON of interest and hope that it continues to be useful. Thank you to all who sent in your comments and suggestions. In response to several suggestions, the ALAWON masthead has been replaced by something shorter. Further suggestions are welcome about what you'd like to see, and what you wouldn't like to see. (But please remember to send them to nu_alawash@cua (Bitnet) or nu_alawash@cuavax.dnet.cua.edu (Internet), not to the newsline address.) Several people have asked about back issues; we hope to have those available by the end of the month. And finally, we'd like to thank Karen Muller and Richard Roman of ALA, and Nancy John of the University of Chicago who helped ALAWON get started. *************************************************************************** ACTION NEEDED ON OMB CIRCULAR A-130 REVISION Key government publications in electronic formats would be available to the public through depository libraries only at agency discretion if the Office of Management and Budget's proposed policy directive on government information policy goes into effect without change. The Office of Management is seeking public comment on proposed revisions of OMB Circular No. A-130, Management of Federal Information Resources, published in the April 29 _Federal Register_, pp. 18296-306. Comments on the proposed revisions should be submitted no later than August 27 to Information Policy Branch, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, Room 3235 New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503. Comments may be sent via electronic mail to omba130@nist.gov and will be included as part of the official record. During ALA's Annual Conference, ALA Council adopted a resolution on the revision of OMB Circular A-130. Of particular concern was OMB's interpretation of the definition of government publication in section 1901 of Title 44 _United States Code_. OMB's interpretation excludes electronic publications, providing a loophole that permits agencies to bypass their depository obligations when publications are in electronic form. It is OMB's view that an agency's responsibility to make electronic information products available to depository libraries is a matter of policy, rather than statute. A key limitation to the provision of "appropriate electronic information" to depository libraries is the agency's budgetary resources. Since budget is always a problem, OMB seems to invite agencies to cite lack of funds in order to exempt electronic publications from distribution through depository libraries. The likely result is the demise of the Depository Library Program as more publications are produced solely in electronic format. ACTION NEEDED: It is essential that librarians and library users request OMB to revise the section of the proposed circular concerning the Depository Library Program. Urge OMB to revise its interpretation of "government publication," so that government information in any medium or form be considered a "government publication," and that such publications be made available to the public through the Depository Library Program and other channels. Letters could give examples of how the American people need and use government information in electronic formats. Give examples of useful electronic information currently available, of information needed but unavailable, and of how not having information has affected individuals, small businesses, students, faculty, researchers, and others. *************************************************************************** SENATE COMMITTEE AGREES TO ONE-YEAR FIX ON NONPROFIT POSTAL RATES The Senate Appropriations Committee on July 31 approved the House-passed level of $200 million in revenue forgone appropriations for free and reduced rate mail. Normally, if funding is substantially less than the $482 million the U.S. Postal Service estimates is needed for FY93, nonprofit postal rates such as the 4th-class library rate would be raised October 1 to make up the difference. However, the Senate committee "reluctantly" agreed to the House provision which requires that no increased costs resulting from the shortfall be passed on to preferred rate mailers in FY93. USPS must absorb the shortfall and factor it into the next general rate increase. Assuming no change in the postal provisions during Senate passage of HR 5488, House-Senate conference on differences in other parts of the Treasury-Postal Service funding bill, and presidential approval, the result will be a one-year fix to the annual uncertainty of nonprofit postal rates. This temporary reprieve is due to the impressive grassroots response from those affected, including the library community. *************************************************************************** JFK ASSASSINATION MATERIALS DISCLOSURE ACT On July 22, the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs reported out S. 3006, the Assassination Materials Disclosure Act of 1992. The Committee report (S. Rept. 102-328), said, "The legislation is designed and retitled to achieve the single most important purpose of the Act: public access to the assassination records." The Committee report stated further that the records related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy are the most publicly sought-after, unreleased records of our government. The legislation would establish the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection at the National Archives and Records Administration, and would authorize an appropriation of $4.5 million a year in 1993, 94 and 95 for the expedited review and public disclosure of records related to the assassination of President Kennedy. The Committee report also states that "it is intended that the Kennedy autopsy records contained in the HSCA records should be restored to the original collection," and will be treated as Kennedy autopsy records "which are exempt from disclosure under the Act." *************************************************************************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES AND THEIR ROLE IN EDUCATION On July 29, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Communications held a hearing on telecommunications technologies and the role they can and will play in education. Fifteen witnesses presented testimony during the five-hour hearing. Diane Ravitch, Assistant Secretary, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, listed some of the ways that the Department of Education was using technology, such as star schools, hypermedia, and ERIC. She also described SMARTLINE, the department's proposed online system that would provide information on education to teachers, parents, and students. The system would be available "everywhere there's a modem," including public libraries. Sen. Burns (R-MT) scolded Ravitch for not keeping up with the developments in the field, and suggested that the department should establish a clearinghouse for information. Ravitch replied that it was hard to do without adequate funding. Linda Roberts, Senior Associate, Congressional Office of Technology Assessment, suggested several steps to improve distance learning, such as preferential telecommunications rates, support for quality programming, and training and support for teachers. She advised Congress to keep in mind that teachers would always be important, that although the cost of delivery systems will decrease, the operational costs will always be the same, and that people need to know about existing projects. Several witnesses described current uses of technology in education, including John Kuglin, a teacher in Missoula, Montana, who uses cable programming to teach current events to his fourth-grade class, and Key Abernathy, a Beaumont, Texas, teacher whose Internet connection allows her schools to download materials directly from NASA. One panel described their uses of satellites to distribute educational programming. Shelly Weinstein of the National Education Telecommunications Organization and the Education Satellite Corporation said that although low cost access is important, predictability of service was also important. This sentiment was echoed by Mabel Phifer, President of the Black College Satellite Network and the Central Educational Telecommunications Network, who said that she had to cancel a contract with a satellite provider who continually bumped programs without giving her enough lead time to notify schools. She also stressed the importance of standards to ensure compatibility between systems. The hearing record will remain open until August 26. For further information, contact the Communications Subcommittee at 202-224-9340. *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** ALAWON is an irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office, 110 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Washington, DC 20002-5675. Editor and List Owner: Fred King. Phone: 202-547-4440; Fax: 202-547-7363; Bitnet: NU_ALAWASH@CUA All or part of ALAWON may be redistributed, with appropriate credits. ALAWON is available free of charge and is available only in electronic form. To subscribe, send the message "subscribe ala-wo [your name]" to the Bitnet address listserv@uicvm. Back issues of ALAWON will be available soon. Instructions on how to retrieve them will be published in future issues. *************************************************************************** ***End of file******************End of file******************End of file***