****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 5, Number 2 February 1, 1996 In this issue: (168 lines) TRANSITION TO ELECTRONIC DEPOSITORY LIBRARIES PROPOSED; ACTION NEEDED ALA COMMENDS CONGRESS AND GPO TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1995 PASSED BY HOUSE AND SENATE ***************************************************************** TRANSITION TO ELECTRONIC DEPOSITORY LIBRARIES PROPOSED The Government Printing Office has proposed a plan to convert the print-based Federal Depository Library Program to an almost completely electronic program by October 1998. GPO released __The Electronic Federal Depository Library Program: Transition Plan, FY 1996 - FY 1998__ in late December 1995. GPO says the plan is based on their understanding of Congressional intent and direction, technological developments, and operational and budgetary realities. The anticipated transition to almost entirely electronic dissemination would be dramatic. For example, in FY 1995, GPO distributed 17,466 titles in paper, 26,856 in microfiche and 412 in electronic format. Nearly 17 million copies of these 44,734 titles were in depository libraries for public use. According to the transition plan, by October 1998, only a core list of 24 publications would be distributed in paper to depository libraries, with everything else electronic. The list of titles includes: 1. American Foreign Policy--Current Documents 2. Budget of the United States Government 3. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 4. Code of Federal Regulations 5. Congressional Directory 6. Congressional District Atlas 7. Congressional Record , final bound edition 8. County and City Data Book 9. Economic Indicators 10. Economic Report of the President 11. Federal Register 12. Foreign Relations of the U.S. 13. List of Sections Affected (CFR) 14. Public Papers of the President 15. State & Metropolitan Area Data Book 16. Statistical Abstract of the U.S. 17. Statutes at Large 18. Treaties and Other International Acts of the United States 19. Treaties in Force 20. United States Code 21. United States Congressional Serial Set , bound edition (distribution would be limited to regional depositories, plus one depository in each state without a regional) 22. U. S. Government Manual 23. United States Reports 24. Vital Statistics of the U.S. The GPO transition plan was a much discussed topic at the ALA Midwinter Conference, particularly at meetings of the Government Documents Round Table. A GODORT-originated resolution regarding the transition to a more electronic federal information system, passed by ALA's Council on January 24. In the resolution ALA urged Congress to continue efforts to move the Federal Depository Library Program toward a more electronic information and dissemination program by adopting a 5-7 year time frame for the transition, and to provide Federal information in a format most appropriate to the public's needs by: * supporting and funding the Federal Depository Library Program throughout the transition period at a level necessary to carry out a successful transition, * disseminating information in media appropriate to the information's content, use and audience, * ensuring no-fee public access to government information through depository libraries regardless of the agencies' cost recovery practices, and * affirming the government's responsibility and strengthening its ability to archive and preserve government information for long-term access. Additionally, ALA urged Congress to hold public hearings by both authorizing and appropriating committees prior to implementing the Transition Plan and to enact the necessary statutory changes to USC Title 44 in order to implement the Plan. ACTION NEEDED: GPO is very interested in public comments on the transition plan, particularly with respect to two general areas: 1) the impact of this transition on the users of government information, on libraries in general, and specifically on depository libraries; 2) the role of the agencies and GPO's relationship with, and services, to them. Any comments on the plan may be directed to Mr. J.D. Young, Director of Library Programs Service at (202) 512-1114; fax (202) 512-1432, or by e-mail at . ***************************************************************** ALA COMMENDS CONGRESS AND GPO At its Midwinter Meeting, ALA Council commended Congress, the Public Printer, the Superintendent of Documents, and Government Printing Office staff for providing the public direct online access to GPO Access services at no charge and urged Congress to provide continued funding necessary to support direct no-fee public access to GPO Access services (see December 21, 1995 ALA Washington Newsletter, p. 4). ***************************************************************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1995 PASSED BY HOUSE AND SENATE The House and Senate have both passed S. 652, the Telecommunications Act of 1995 late this afternoon, February 1. The House voted 414 to 16 in favor. The Senate vote was 91 to 5. Both houses of Congress passed the final conference version of S. 652 which was published in the _Congressional Record_ on January 31 (pp. H 1078-1136). It appeared from observing floor debate in the House that a number of technical or editorial changes were distributed to representatives only on the morning of February 1. The final version of S. 652 keeps the Snowe-Rockefeller-Kerrey-Exon provision for discounted rates for advanced telecommunications services for libraries, K-12 schools and rural health care providers. Unfortunately, it still includes the overly broad "indecency" standard on Internet content restrictions. Further information when the legislation is officially published in the _Congressional Record_. ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is an irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004. Internet: alawash@alawash.org; Phone: 202-628-8410; Fax: 202-628-8419. Contributing to this issue: Anne A. Heanue; Editor: Lynne E. Bradley (leb@alawash.org). 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 and other documents are available from the listserv 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. To get a particular file, issue the command "send filename filetype" to the listserv. Do not include the quotes in your commands. All materials in the newsletter subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. For other reprinting or redistribution, address requests to the ALA Washington Office (alawash@alawash.org). ****End File****************End File*****************End File**** *****************************************************************