****Begin File******************Begin File*******************Begin File**** *************************************************************************** ALAWON ALA Washington Office Newsline An electronic publication of the American Library Association Washington Office Volume 2, Number 3 January 29, 1993 In this issue: (218 lines) SUMMARY OF ALA COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS RELATED TO FEDERAL LEGISLATION *************************************************************************** SUMMARY OF ALA COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS RELATED TO FEDERAL LEGISLATION Here's a summary of resolutions passed by ALA Council during the Midwinter Conference that are related to federal legislation. Copies of these and other resolutions can be obtained from the Office of the Executive Director, American Library Association, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60619. RESOLUTION ON GPO APPROPRIATIONS CD# 27.1, sponsored by the Committee on Resolution and passed by Council on January 26, 1993. RESOLVED, that the American Library Association (ALA) urge Congress to approve a supplemental appropriation for fiscal year 1993 to make up the projected budget shortfall, thus avoiding GPO's announced drastic cuts; and be it further RESOLVED, that ALA urge Congress to appropriate the full amount requested by the Government Printing Office (Salaries and Expenses) to operate the depository library program for fiscal year 1994; and be it further RESOLVED, that ALA urge Congress to direct the Public Printer to consult with the depository library community now and in the future to generate ideas and determine the impact of changes to the program which will make it more cost effective without compromising the program or eroding its goals; and be it further RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be transmitted to appropriate committees of Congress and the Public Printer. Note: On January 27, 1993, Katherine F. Mawdsley, Associate University Librarian for Public Services, University of California at Davis, testified on behalf of ALA and the Association of Research Libraries in support of FY 1994 appropriations for the Government Printing Office and the Library of Congress. She presented this resolution to the House subcommittee as part of her testimony. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- RESOLUTION ON THE RIGHT TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INFORMATION CD# 27.3, sponsored by the Committee on Legislation and passed by Council on January 27, 1993. RESOLVED,that the American Library Association urge the President of the United States and Congress to take immediate action to: * affirm a policy that ensures equal, ready, timely and equitable access to information, regardless of physical form or characteristics, by and about the United States government; * disseminate government information in whatever format is most appropriate, most cost effective, most timely, and most useful for government agencies, libraries and the general public, including through an electronic gateway at the Government Printing Office; * ensure that the government collect, compile, coordinate, maintain, and disseminate accurate and timely statistics in consistent categories to enhance the economic, educational, scientific, technological, social, and cultural welfare of the public; * ensure that standardized, comprehensive, up-to-date bibliographic locator tools for government publications, records and databases are widely available through nationally recognized databases and library networks, as well as in print formats, so that the public can identify needed government information; * strengthen the Depository Library Program, particularly by including electronic formats and online access; * ensure that government information products and services include indexes, software, and documentation needed to facilitate their usefulness; * limit the price of government information products and services to no more than the incremental costs of distribution, and exclude the cost of collecting, organizing, storing, and preserving government information; * prohibit copyright of all works of the United States government, and prohibit any royalty-like fees for redissemination of government information; * recognize that electronic records are covered under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and require agencies to make reasonable efforts to provide records in the format requested; * grant no FOIA exemption to agencies for national security, law enforcement, or financial-institution purposes unless proof is provided for demonstrable harm that outweighs the public interest in disclosure; * impose FOIA fees only on those requestors who seek information solely for private commercial uses, and automatically grant FOIA fee waivers to libraries, educational institutions, nonprofit researchers, authors, public interest groups, and depositories of public records; * ensure that agencies comply with the 10-day statutory response time limit for FOIA requests; * reduce drastically the scope of secrecy within the federal government by reviewing all forms of security classification in the agencies of the government, instituting a systematic declassification system to ensure future public access, and prohibiting restrictions on public use of government information solely on the basis that it is sensitive but unclassified; * appoint a blue ribbon commission to recommend changes in federal policies that were promulgated during the cold war and that inhibit the free flow of ideas; * protect the privacy rights of individuals and groups from unwarranted government intrusion; * ensure that federal information systems include provisions for archiving and eventual public access; and make special efforts to archive and preserve current electronic systems which may lack these features; * designate federal library operations as inherently governmental functions and remove them from the OMB list of commercial activities; * appoint federal officials who support and promote policies that ensure public access to government information--especially in the National Archives, the Office of Management and Budget Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), the Justice Department offices with jurisdiction over FOIA, and the Government Printing Office; and be it further RESOLVED, that the American Library Association send copies of this resolution to William Jefferson Clinton, President of the United States, and the Members of Congress. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- RESOLUTION ON THE POSSIBLE CLOSING OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES LIBRARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR CD# 27.4, sponsored by the Committee on Legislation and passed by Council on January 27, 1993. RESOLVED that the American Library Association urge the Secretary of the Interior to support the critical programs of the NRL (Natural Resources Library) by providing sufficient resources to keep it fully staffed and operational; and be it further RESOLVED that ALA encourage Department officials to re-examine the library situation with a view to retaining sufficient in-house library expertise and staff to ensure the successful operation of library programs; and be it further RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be sent to the Secretary of the Department of the Interior, the appropriate Congressional committees, the Chair of the Federal Library and Information Center Committee, the National Commission on Library and Information Science, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- RESOLUTION OF COMMENDATION FOR PRESIDENT CLINTON CD# 26.3, sponsored by the Intellectual Freedom Committee and passed by Council on January 27, 1993 RESOLVED, that the American Library Association and the Freedom to Read Foundation commend President Clinton for his executive order repealing the ban on abortion counseling at federally-funded clinics, and be it further RESOLVED, that this resolution be transmitted to President Clinton at the White House. Note: Candace D. Morgan, Chair of the Intellectual Freedom Committee, submitted the following statement as part of the IFC's report to Council: "President Clinton has signed an Executive Order repealing the so-called 'gag rule,' which prohibited the dissemination of information about abortion at federally-funded family planning clinics. The American Library Association and the Freedom to Read Foundation filed a joint amicus brief before the United States Supreme Court in _Rust v. Sullivan,_ arguing the unconstitutionality of the 'gag rule.' President Clinton's action recognizes that health care professionals must have the freedom to discuss medical information with their patients, without government interference." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- RESOLUTION ON SUPPORT FOR FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE ACTION ON PROTECTION FROM DISCRIMINATION BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION CD# 46, sponsored by Linda M. Wood, California Chapter Councilor, on behalf of the California Library Association, and passed by Council on January 27, 1993. RESOLVED, that the American Library Association support federal legislative action to protect all people from discrimination based on sexual orientation, and be it further RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be distributed by the ALA Washington Office to appropriate individuals and organizations. *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** 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; Internet: NU_ALAWASH@CUA.EDU All or part of ALAWON may be redistributed, with appropriate credits. 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