================================================================= ALAWON Volume 5, Number 73 ISSN 1069-7799 October 9, 1996 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: (103 lines) ADVOCACY ALERT: "KEEP UP THE GRASSROOTS EFFORTS!" THE FCC NEEDS TO HEAR FROM THOUSANDS MORE ON DISCOUNTED RATES FOR LIBRARIES! ________________________________________________________________ ADVOCACY ALERT:"KEEP UP THE GRASSROOTS EFFORTS!" THE FCC NEEDS TO HEAR FROM THOUSANDS MORE ON DISCOUNTED RATES FOR LIBRARIES! "Keep up the advocacy efforts!" is the clear message coming from library observers monitoring the universal service proceedings on discounted telecommunications rates for libraries and schools. This is in response to a rulemaking proceeding presently before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal-State Joint Board in CC Docket 96-45. In previous issues of ALAWON and elsewhere, ALA and other advocates have encouraged grassroots participation to assure affordable telecommunications rates for public and school libraries as well as K-12 classrooms, as mandated by the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Advocates are strongly encouraged to continue to send more letters and e-mail to the FCC and Joint Board members about the critical importance of determining a meaningful discount or equity rate to enable libraries to utilize and provide access for all Americans to the information superhighway. If you have already sent a letter to the FCC and Joint Board, please encourage others to write a letter of support. Include CC Docket 96-45 on all correspondence. Supporters should contact: The Honorable Reed E. Hundt, Chairman Federal Communications Commission 1919 M Street, NW Room 814 Washington, DC 20554 e-mail: rhundt@fcc.gov The Honorable Rachelle B. Chong, Commissioner Federal Communications Commission 1919 M Street, NW Room 844 Washington, DC 20554 The Honorable Susan Ness, Commissioner Federal Communications Commission 1919 M Street, NW Room 832 Washington, DC 20554 The Honorable Julia Johnson, Commissioner Florida Public Service Commission Capital Circle Office Center 2540 Shumard Oak Blvd. Tallahassee, FL 32399-0850 The Honorable Kenneth McClure, Vice Chairman Missouri Public Service Commission 301 W. High Street, Suite 530 Jefferson City, MO 65102 The Honorable Sharon L. Nelson, Chairman Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission P.O. Box 47250 Olympia, WA 98504-7250 The Hon. Laska Schoenfelder, Commissioner South Dakota Public Utilities Commission 500 E. Capital Avenue Pierre, SD 57501 Martha S. Hogerty Public Counsel for the State of Missouri P.O. Box 7800 Harry S. Truman Building, Room 250 Jefferson City, MO 65102 For further information and for more detailed background on the ALA filing in the universal service proceedings see the ALA web site at . _________________________________________________________________ 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 at . 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: Deirdre A. Herman All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. =================================================================