****Begin File******************Begin File*******************Begin File**** *************************************************************************** ALAWON ALA Washington Office Newsline An electronic publication of the American Library Association Washington Office Volume 2, Number 18 May 10, 1993 In this issue: (321 lines) NREN APPLICATIONS BILL SUMMARIZED HEARINGS HELD ON BOUCHER NETWORKING APPLICATIONS BILL UPCOMING HEARINGS *************************************************************************** NREN APPLICATIONS BILL SUMMARIZED HR 1757 WOULD ESTABLISH NREN PROGRAM On April 21, Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA) introduced HR 1757, the High Performance Computing and High Speed Networking Applications Act of 1993. The bill amends Section 102 of the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991, which defined the National Research and Education Network. Under HR 1757, the NREN Program would have three components: (1) research and development of gigabit networking software and hardware; (2) experimental test bed networks for developing and demonstrating gigabit networking technologies and providing connections requiring network performance not available from privately operated commercial networks; and (3) support for researchers, educators, and students to obtain access to and use of the Internet for communications with others in the research and education communities and to allow for access to high-performance computing systems, electronic information resources, other research facilities, and libraries. Federal agencies involved must have a plan for providing financial assistance to educational institutions, public libraries and others to enable them to access the Internet. Test bed networks are not to be used "to provide services that could otherwise be provided satisfactorily using privately operated commercial networks" after 18 months from enactment of the bill. The Internet is defined as "the network of both Federal and non- Federal interoperable packet-switched data networks." ACCESS, TRAINING, AND RESEARCH HR 1757 would also amend the HPCA by adding a new title III for applications of computing and networking. This title would require the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish the Applications Program, including a plan and responsibilities of the Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology, as well as designating a coordinator at OSTP for the Program. A section on network access would authorize a Connections Program at the National Science Foundation for creation of local networks in communities. The networks would connect institutions of higher education, elementary and secondary schools, libraries, and state and local governments to each other and to the Internet. The section also calls for programs to train teachers, students, librarians and government personnel. "Training programs for librarians shall be designed to provide skills and training materials needed by librarians to instruct the public in the use of hardware and software for accessing and using computer networks and the Internet." Reports are required within a year of enactment on the extent to which the education, library, and state and local government communities have access to the Internet, broadband connections to the Internet, the factors limiting access, an estimate of the cost of providing universal broadband access for those institutions, and recommendations for collaborative public-private sector programs to expand connectivity. Authorizations: FY94 $20M, FY95 $60M, FY96 $70M, FY97 $80M, FY98 $80M. A section on research in support of applications requires the plan to specify research in areas such as computer science and engineering, math, computer visualization, and human cognition needed to achieve the plan, plus research needs in network security and privacy, and ease of Internet use. Authorizations: FY94 $10M, FY95 $30M, FY96 $35M, FY97 $38M, FY98 $38M. APPLICATIONS IN K-12, LIBRARIES, GOVT. INFORMATION Applications for education would authorize NSF to develop and apply computing and networking technologies at all levels of education. K-12 is specifically identified for connections, acquisition of hardware and software, dissemination of information about use of computing and network technologies, development of courses and training, and development of education software. Authorizations: FY94 $24M, FY95 $70M, FY96 $94M, FY97 $94M, FY98 $94M. Applications for health care would authorize the Department of Health and Human Services, through the National Library of Medicine and other HHS agencies, to focus on clinical information systems (including test bed networks for linking hospitals, medical libraries and other locations, as well as database technology for medical information and literature); health information for the public (including distribution to public access points such as public libraries); and health delivery systems and population data sets. Authorizations: FY94 $24M, FY95 $70M, FY96 $82M, FY97 $94M, FY98 $94M. Applications for libraries would authorize NSF to support development of digital libraries and prototypes, including advanced data storage systems, advanced digitizing techniques, development of database software, development of standards, visualization methods, user-friendly tools, and training. Authorizations: FY94 $10M, FY95 $30M, FY96 $35, FY97 $44M, FY98 $44M. NASA would be authorized to develop databases of remote-sensing images. Authorizations: FY94 $6M, FY95 $16M, FY96 $20M, FY97 $20M, FY98 $20M. Applications for government information would authorize unnamed agencies to support connecting depository libraries and other sources of government information to the Internet for access to federal, state, or local government information and related resources, and to support linkages with other libraries and institutions to enhance use of government information. Agencies could also support demonstration projects for improved public access to government information. This section includes establishment of a federal information locator system accessible over the Internet. Authorizations: FY94 $8M, FY95 $24M, FY96 $26M, FY97 $30M, FY98 $30M. The bill also adds a high-performance computing and applications advisory committee with widely representative non-federal membership, including the elementary and secondary education, higher education, and library communities. HR 1757 WOULD MAKE NREN A TRUE PROGRAM The strength of HR 1757 is that it would implement the NREN Program as originally envisioned in the HPCA, adding substantive provisions for school and library connections and support for applications and training in areas useful to these institutions and the public. A welcome section on government information applications includes many of the provisions suggested by ALA. The science agencies to which funds would be authorized are those within the jurisdiction of the Science Subcommittee, but these agencies, particularly NSF, are to work in cooperation with other appropriate agencies. The troublesome provisions relate to an artificial distinction between experimental test bed networks and production uses of networks, with a rigid 18-month timetable for such separation. These provisions reflect attempts to accommodate the telecommunications companies who recently produced a policy statement identifying their interest in network and national information infrastructure issues. However, the provisions would potentially affect the current structure of backbone and regional networks which are operated on top of private-sector communications facilities (which receive revenue for transport), but add services, training, and applications support which are not provided by the large communications companies. *************************************************************************** HEARINGS HELD ON BOUCHER NETWORKING APPLICATIONS BILL ADMINISTRATION VIEWS Chairman Rick Boucher (D-VA) presided at hearings on his bill, the High Performance Computing and High Speed Networking Applications Act (HR 1757) on April 27 and May 6, 1993. The first hearing opened with John Gibbons, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, providing the Administration's view. He discussed the Clinton Technology Initiative, of which the High Performance Computing and Communications Program is a critical part. The HPCC program has five components in the Administration's FY94 budget: (1) High Performance Computing Systems, (2) National Research and Education Network, (3) Advanced Software Technology and Algorithms, (4) Basic Research and Human Resources, and (5) Information Infrastructure Technology and Applications. Gibbons said HR 1757 is "important, forward-looking legislation and is largely consistent with the Administration's proposal for developing the nation's information infrastructure," including "very important provisions for improving the dissemination of Federal information." He felt roles for other federal agencies were needed, and he said the experimental/production distinction and the 18-month timetable could limit agency flexibility and complicate the difficult tasks of spurring private sector development and assisting the research and education communities. INDUSTRY VIEWS A panel of industry witnesses, Thomas Tauke of NYNEX, Robert Ewald of Cray Research (representing the Computer Systems Policy Project), W. B. Barker of BBN Communications, and Richard Rashid of Microsoft Corporation, were generally supportive of the bill. However, Tauke felt the restrictions in the bill in not allowing general ("production") use of federally subsidized test bed networks should extend to other areas of the bill as well. For instance, Tauke did not think the federal government should encourage development of local networks, nor did he see why schools and libraries would want to be connected to each other in local networks. In the question and answer session, Boucher attempted to get general agreement from the panel on his vision of the government role which he saw as funding for new network technology research and development, support for applications such as those in the bill, creation of a test bed to develop technologies created through government R&D, stimulating setting of common standards and protocols, and helping institutions such as schools and libraries to get connected. The main disagreement was not over whether schools and libraries should be helped, but over how they should be helped. Tauke said local schools and libraries should be helped by providing government funding to them to purchase commercial services. He felt educational or other government supported networks might market their excess communications capacity. He admitted commercial providers do not always offer comparable services to Internet data communications at comparable prices, but said this was a regulatory problem that Congress should remedy. Barker's view was that government should support school and library connections by procuring them in the most economical manner, not by dictating one manner independent of costs. APPLICATIONS AREAS - SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES On May 6, the Science Subcommittee heard from several groups representing users of networks and applications. First to testify was Rep. Major Owens (D-NY), who stressed that barrier-free access to information was critical for all Americans, including people in urban and rural areas, people with disabilities, minorities, and the poor. He recommended that the bill "recognize public libraries as central to a free and comprehensive information delivery system available to everyone." Don Detmer, Vice President for Health Services, University of Virginia, discussed the implications of high speed networking for health care. Connie Stout, Director of the Texas Educational Network, described the TENET system, a state-supported school network with 21,000 users. TENET was successful, she said, because it was simple to use and training was easily available. She also noted the specific difficulties in procuring equivalent services (connection to the network, training, etc.) from the commercial environment. John Masten, Chief Operating Officer of the New York Public Library, commended the committee for including library applications, for the bill's focus on training, and for support of public libraries as network points of access. He emphasized that libraries of various types have a role in all program components of the bill. The NYPL experience in local and statewide cooperative efforts to increase access to electronic information, including a menu driven Internet gateway, involvement in creating and distributing a simple access kit for small libraries and schools, and close work with the New York State Internet Access Network (NYSERNET), made the library a believer in using local and regional network to reach the real needs of users. Martin Massengale, President of the University of Nebraska, represented the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges. Massengale made several points supported by ALA, EDUCOM, and others. He said he understood there were concerns that government-supported networking activities would interfere with commercial networks, and that the Internet was something separate from the public switched network. In actuality, he said, they all work together; "telephone lines connecting the campuses to the mid-level networks and the mid-level connections to the NSFnet are leased from regional, local telephone companies and interexchange carriers." While strongly supporting most of HR 1757, Massengale expressed concern over the rigid timetable in Section 5 for change in the current structure for Internet support. Any transition from government support of networks to serve public missions should take into account performance based tests such as price, accessibility, breadth of service, competitive options, availability, ubiquity, and timing. Without such considerations, the bill's language may unnecessarily restrict federal and state government actions in the public interest. INFORMATION INDUSTRY VIEWS Cynthia Braddon, Vice President of McGraw-Hill, presented testimony for the Information Industry Association. She said the value of information content was missing from the bill. She recommended that development and implementation of a mechanism for compensating copyright proprietors be added to the list of digital library applications. IIA recommendations for government information applications included designating a lead agency, reflecting the essential role of the industry in enabling public access to information held by the government, and requiring determination of the competitive impact on other sources of information of any government agency initiatives. Boucher asked the panel if the bill identified all the applications that needed to be supported. Stout replied that the education community hasn't had access, so it is hard for them to identify needed applications. Many schools do not have the hardware or the phone lines for electronic networking: an average elementary school has two phone lines; a junior high school has three, and a high school has six. Training is another need; 65% of TENET's budget is spent on training. Other witnesses also stressed the need for training. A third hearing on HR 1757 is planned for Tuesday, May 11 (see below). *************************************************************************** UPCOMING HEARINGS The following hearings were announced in the _Congressional Record_ of May 7, 1993. Locations, dates, and times are subject to change. HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, Subcommittee on Interior. Public witnesses for National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum Services. Wednesday, May 12, 9:30 am and 1:30 pm, 2360 Rayburn. HOUSE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY, Subcommittee on Science. Continuing hearings on HR 1757, the High Performance Computing and High Speed Networking Applications Act of 1993. Tuesday, May 11, 9:00 am, 2318 Rayburn. JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING. Hearing to review Congressional printing and other activities of the Government Printing Office. Tuesday, May 11, 9:30, SR-301. *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** ALAWON is an irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office, 110 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Washington, DC 20002-5675. Phone: 202-547-4440; Fax: 202-547-7363; Internet: alawash@alawash.org. Editor and List Owner: Fred King (fdk@alawash.org). 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 listserv@uicvm (Bitnet) or listserv@uicvm.uic.edu (internet). Back issues of ALAWON are available from the list server. To find out what's available, send the message "send ala-wo filelist" to the listserv. The ALA-WO filelist contains the list of files with the exact filename and filetype. 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