================================================================= ALAWON Volume 5, Number 61 ISSN 1069-7799 September 19, 1996 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: (65 lines) MOVEMENT EVIDENT ON LSTA -- ACTION NEEDED _________________________________________________________________ MOVEMENT EVIDENT ON LSTA -- ACTION NEEDED Various negotiations are underway to move the Workforce and Careers Development Act (H.R. 1617) forward either in whole or in part. All versions that are being discussed by relevant committee leaders include the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) as agreed to in the House-Senate conference version of H.R. 1617. Some attempts by Senator Nancy Kassebaum (R-KS) and Rep. "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA) have not succeeded because the vehicles to which they would be attached either moved too quickly or were pulled for other reasons. Further negotiations are underway, but this situation is extremely fluid. It literally changes and shifts almost hourly in the chaotic atmosphere of the last few weeks of a campaign season congressional session. What this activity does indicate is that committee leaders in both House and Senate are committed to enacting LSTA before adjournment. However, there are no guarantees at this stage. ACTION NEEDED: Keep up the good work in urging all legislators to approve the Library Services and Technology Act as agreed to by House-Senate conferees in H.R. 1617. Again, urge them to get LSTA to the floor for final votes in any way they can. It's especially urgent that other members of the House Economic and Educational Opportunities Committee and the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee keep hearing from constituents with this clear simple message -- enact LSTA. It's bipartisan. It's widely supported. And it will put an important stimulus to technological innovation and outreach services in libraries on the law books in updated form for six years. The U.S. Capitol switchboard number is 202-224-3121. Meanwhile, in separate action, as reported in ALAWON Vol.5, No. 49, the appropriations process is providing funding for the current Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA). This is needed so that the transition to LSTA will be funded; it is also a fail safe mechanism that will ensure that LSCA continues at least for some months into the new fiscal year. _________________________________________________________________ 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 ALA Washington Office Newsline. Visit our Web site . 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: Carol C. Henderson Deirdre A. Herman All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. =================================================================