****Begin File******************Begin File*******************Begin File**** *************************************************************************** ISSN 1069-7799 ALAWON ALA Washington Office Newsline An electronic publication of the American Library Association Washington Office Volume 3, Number 64 October 26, 1994 In this issue: (149 lines) ALA ARGUES AGAINST 4TH-CLASS LIBRARY POSTAL RATES PUBLIC HEARINGS ON ADULT ED. REAUTHORIZATION SET BY DEPT. OF EDUCATION LIBRARIANS TESTIFY AT HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING ON NII *************************************************************************** ALA ARGUES AGAINST 4TH-CLASS LIBRARY POSTAL RATE INCREASE ALA's legal counsel on postal issues, David M. Levy of Sidley & Austin, provided oral argument on behalf of ALA on October 21 in the last hearings before the Postal Rate Commission in the pending general rate case (Docket No. R94-1). The Postal Service has proposed a 73.7 percent increase in the fourth-class library postal rate, much higher than the 10.3 percent average increase requested for other postal rates. Levy noted that the library rate presents the Postal Rate Commission with a real conundrum. The USPS, he said, claimed that unit costs for the library rate have gone up 73 percent since FY89, but can't explain why. "The affected mailers, including the librarians, say that doesn't make any sense. Our mailing patterns haven't changed that much since [the last rate case in 1990], but the mailers can't and certainly haven't identified where there is a bust in the numbers." Levy continued: What's the Commission to do in this circumstance? One approach, the hard-line approach implicitly advocated by the Postal Service, is to say: "Postal ratemaking is an adversarial process. Mailers are responsible for litigating their own issues. The Postal Rate Commission is a referee, not an inquisitor or an investigator. If an intervenor can't or won't spend the $200,000 or so needed to play the game of trying to root out the error in the Postal Service's cost numbers, well that's just the intervenor's problem." The other extreme would be to have the Postal Rate Commission turn itself into sort of a super OCA, to beef up its staff of accountants and economists, and to investigate and resolve for itself on its own initiative every costing issue that is raised by the parties.... We are not suggesting either extreme. The American Library Association submits that there is a middle course, and it was a ground that ALA outlined in its June 27th opposition to the [Postal Service's proposal]. That is, if there is a very large and very anomalous and non-commonsensical increase in purported unit costs, and if the Postal Service can't explain this anomalous result, it is appropriate to roll forward ... the unit costs from the prior rate case based on the best adjustment for changes in labor costs, inflation, productivity, whatever the Commission's best estimate is, and ask the Postal Service to get to the root of the problem before the next rate case. Levy cited ample precedent for rejecting an implausibly high rate increase even without evidence identifying specific errors in the USPS data. It would make the Postal Rate Commission's job easier if ALA had been able to spend $200,000 to thoroughly investigate the USPS cost data, and discovered and documented errors. Even without those resources, however, ALA has provided the PRC with ample precedent for making a decision favorable to library mailers on its own. A decision is expected later this year, with new rates for all classes of mail expected to take effect in January. *************************************************************************** PUBLIC HEARINGS ON ADULT ED. REAUTHORIZATION SET BY DEPT. OF EDUCATION The Department of Education has published a notification of public hearings on the Adult Education Act, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act and the National Literacy Act of 1991 (Federal Register, October 18, 1994, 52522). The first hearing was October 21 in California. The next hearings are scheduled for October 28 in Tennessee; on November 7-8 in Chicago, Illinois and November 16-17 in Boston, Massachusetts. The hearings are scheduled to provide interested parties with the opportunity to present their views on current adult education and vocational education programs and to suggest modifications and alternatives to these programs and to recommend "new and innovative program initiatives that support the President's Goals 2000: Educate America Act," especially Goals 2 and 6. Individuals interested in testifying must submit a written request, which may be sent to the Department of Education by fax, addressed to Phyllis Dorsey, Division of Adult Education and Literacy (fax # (202) 205-8973). Persons interested in the Adult Education Hearings should call (202) 205-9311 for more information, and for Vocational Education, (202) 205-9868. Written comments were requested by the Secretary of Education in a notice published on September 20, 1994 in the Federal Register (48366). *************************************************************************** LIBRARIANS TESTIFY AT HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING ON NII Rep. Richard Boucher (D-VA) chaired an oversight hearing of the science subcommittee of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Librarians testifying included Rivkah Sass for the Maryland State Division of Library Development and Services; Karen Dillon, director of the Montgomery- Floyd Regional Library in Christiansburg, VA; and Beverly Choltco-Devlin, formerly with the Morrisville (NY) Public Library and now on the staff with NYSERNET. The librarians' comments focused on their unique applications of Internet to rural information needs. Coming from different types of library agencies and regions, they outlined library uses as well as issues for further consideration. Boucher and his colleagues revealed an excellent understanding of the potential of Internet, especially in rural and library settings. The subcommittee also heard testimony from several business representatives including Mark Walsh, from the Interactive Services Association; Edward D. Young III, from Bell Atlantic; and William L. Schrader, president and CEO of Performance Systems International Inc. Jim Williams, executive director of the Federation of American Research Networks, Inc. (FARNET), also testified. *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is an irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office, 110 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Washington, DC 20002-5675. Internet: alawash@alawash.org; Phone: 202-547-4440; Fax: 202-547-7363. ALA-WO Staff contributing to this issue: Carol C. Henderson, Executive Director; Mary R. 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