================================================================= ALAWON Volume 5, Number 20 ISSN 1069-7799 April 24, 1996 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: REPLY COMMENTS ON UNIVERSAL SERVICE PROCEEDING DUE ON MAY 7 OUTLINE OF ALA RESPONSE TO FCC NPRM ON UNIVERSAL SERVICE _________________________________________________________________ REPLY COMMENTS ON UNIVERSAL SERVICE PROCEEDING DUE ON MAY 7 ALA is preparing Reply Comments in the FCC's Universal Service Proceeding, Docket 96-45. This is a continuation of the formal comments filed during the week of April 10 as part of the FCC's implementation of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Groups and individuals CAN FILE reply comments even if they did not file comments during the initial comment phase. ALA and several other library agencies or associations filed individual formal comments. ALA also filed as part of a K-12 education/library coalition. (See ALAWON, Vol. 5, No. 16, April 4, 1996, for a previous report on these filings.) ALA's comments were endorsed by the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL), the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA), and the Urban Libraries Council (ULC). Library agencies and associations filing their own comments included: the Alaska Library Association, the California Library Association, the California State Library, the Library of Michigan, the Michigan Library Association, the Lincoln Trails Library System (Illinois), SAILOR -- the Maryland Library Network, the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, the Warren (Pa.) Library Association, and the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science. In addition, information policy and library science researcher, Dr. Charles McClure, filed for Syracuse University. Altogether there were more than 200 different filings submitted. Other groups filing included OMB Watch, the American Federation of Teachers and industry representatives from cable tv, long distance, wireless, regional Bells, and other telephone companies and associations. ALA is now reviewing these materials to prepare reply comments due on May 7. Other library organizations, associations and individual library advocates are encouraged to submit reply comments or letters in this latest phase. EMPHASIS: Advocates can submit reply comments and letters even if they did not file in the comment period. This will not necessarily be the case if the proceedings go into additional phases or "replies to the replies" in this particular universal service proceeding. Interested librarians and library supporters can also contribute to ALA's reply comments by sending examples of leading edge library usage to REPLIES@ALAWASH.ORG or to the Washington Office by fax. (For background information on this issue and request for input, please see ALAWON, Vol. 5, No.14, March 22, 1996.) Additional materials on ALA's activities and other information related to the FCC-Joint Board proceedings on universal service are also available on the ALA gopher/web site. Instructions on how to file are available at this electronic site as well: http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oitp/univserv.html ENDORSEMENTS WELCOME: ALA requests that endorsements and letters of support for the ALA filing be sent to the FCC by the May 7 deadline. Organizations that wish to be listed as endorsing the separate ALA filing are encouraged to contact Andrew Magpantay at ALA's Office for Information Technology Policy -- oitp@alawash.org, or 202-628-8421; fax 202-628-8424. Library advocates should include examples of telecommunications services and library applications from their local communities or describe special applications or needs of a particular region or jurisdiction. Key points that could be endorsed are included in the outline below. _________________________________________________________________ OUTLINE OF ALA RESPONSE TO FCC NPRM ON UNIVERSAL SERVICE The Telecommunications Act of 1996 mandates for the first time, that libraries and schools be considered universal service providers. Major points of the ALA filing include: * An expansive definition of discounted services for libraries and schools which includes all telecommunications services available commercially or by tariff or through contract. * A discount rate which is similar to a wholesale price and covers the cost of the service or the lowest cost available. This discount rate would be based on the Total Service Long Run Incremental Costs (TS-LRIC) of a service. * Libraries and schools in rural, insular and high-cost areas should receive deeper discounts because of the special barriers to affordable connections. * Core universal services for the residential consumers should be defined, at the very least, as the level of technology required for entry level access to the Internet. * Certification and eligibility requirements should not be onerous, provide accountability, and include libraries and schools that participate in appropriate cooperative network arrangements. THANKS FOR INPUT: ALA appreciates all the comments and input received from libraries and library supporters. The examples of library applications, the questions about such issues as reselling and the many other points contributed and assisted ALA with its filing. And, thanks to all the library groups that filed comments at the FCC. Additional input from the field is encouraged during this phase and in future proceedings. Thanks to everyone and keep it up! _________________________________________________________________ ALAWON is a free, irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office. To subscribe, send the message "subscribe ala-wo [your_firstname] [your_lastname]" to . ALAWON archives gopher.ala.org; select Washington Office Newsline. Web page HTTP://www.ala.org/alawashington.html. ALA Washington Office 202.628.8410 (V) 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #403 202.628.8419 (F) Washington, DC 20004-1701 Lynne E. Bradley, Editor Contributors: All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. =================================================================