================================================================= ALAWON Volume 6, Number 94 ISSN 1069-7799 November 5, 1997 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: (127 lines) PROPOSED SEVENTY-FIVE DAY "WINDOW" FOR APPLICATIONS FOR DISCOUNTS: YOUR INPUT NEEDED IRA FISHMAN APPOINTED CEO OF SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES CORPORATION ________________________________________________________________ PROPOSED SEVENTY-FIVE DAY "WINDOW" FOR APPLICATIONS FOR DISCOUNTS: YOUR INPUT NEEDED The Schools and Libraries Corporation (SLC) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are considering a proposal for a 75-day "window" for receiving applications for discounts. ALA needs your input on whether a 75-day "window" period would give applicants a fair opportunity at the first round of funding. According to the proposal BOTH Form 470 and Form 471 must be received within the 75-day "window" period in order for the application to be considered eligible. All applications received during the first 75 days from the day the SLC web site (www.slcfund.org) becomes available--currently expected by mid-December--would be given equal priority. After that "window" of time has closed, applications would be processed on a first-come-first-served basis. In order for an applicant to be considered within that 75-day period, the applicant must first file a Form 470. For "new" service requests, the information from that form must be posted for 28 days. After the 28 day period, the applicant is free to sign a contract for new services, and submit Form 471 outlining the contract information. While the proposal states that 1) service delivery may begin before the "window" closes, and 2) the discounts are to be retroactive back to the contract start date, the SLC filing does not outline how this process would actually function. The FCC is expected to approve the "window" proposal by next Friday, November 14, 1997. ACTION NEEDED: The ALA Office for Information Technology Policy needs to know your reaction to the SLC/FCC proposal, specifically if a 75-day "window" would give applicants a fair opportunity at the first round of funding. The FCC is expected to approve the "window" proposal by November 14, 1997. Please e-mail your response by this Friday, November 7 to oitp@alawash.org. _________________________________________________________________ IRA FISHMAN APPOINTED CEO OF SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES CORPORATION On Tuesday, October 21 the Schools and Libraries Corporation board retained Ira Fishman, currently of the Washington, D.C. law firm Patton Boggs, L.L.P., as the chief executive officer for the SLC. The SLC is one of three companies established by the FCC to administer the new universal service program. Fishman officially assumed his duties with the SLC on November 3, 1997. As former special counsel and director of the Task Force on Education with the Federal Communications Commission, he oversaw and coordinated implementation of the provisions in the Telecommunications Act of 1996 relating to the deployment of libraries and schools. "Ira was instrumental in the working with the Joint Board of Federal and State regulators to develop the recommendation that libraries and schools receive discounts on telecommunications services," said K.G. Ouye, chair of the SLC and city librarian for the San Mateo (Calif.) Public Library. "His experience and expertise will be an asset to the SLC and to the nation's libraries and schools." In addition to his work with the FCC, Fishman has served as a White House deputy assistant to the President for legislative affairs and as vice president for congressional and external affairs for the Export Bank of the United States. "ALA has worked closely with Ira throughout the Joint Board Process," said Carol Henderson, executive director of the ALA Washington Office. "We are pleased to have the opportunity to continue working with him to implement the libraries and schools discount program." The SLC board will expedite the availability of discount applications forms, currently being reviewed by the FCC. The other two companies are the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) and the Rural Health Care Corporation (RHCC). USAC will be responsible for collecting and disbursing universal service funds. The two separate, unaffiliated corporations--SLC and RHCC--will be responsible for receiving applications and committing funds under the universal service provisions for libraries, schools and rural health care providers. Other SLC board members are Anne L. Bryant, executive director of the National School Boards Association; Henry Marockie, West Virginia Superintendent of Education and current president of the Council of Chief State School Officers and Brian L. Talbott, executive director of the American Association of Educational Service Agencies; Ken Brody, managing partner of Winslow Partners and Frank Gumper, vice-president of Federal Regulatory Planning at Bell Atlantic. _________________________________________________________________ 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 listproc @ala.org. To unsubscribe, send the message: unsubscribe ala-wo to listproc@ala.org. ALAWON archives at http://www.ala.org/ washoff/alawon. Visit our Web site at http://www.alawash.org. ALA Washington Office 202.628.8410 (V) 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #403 202.628.8419 (F) Washington, DC 20004-1701 800.941.8478 (V) Lynne E. Bradley, Editor Deirdre Herman, Managing Editor Contributors: Aleck Johnson All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. =================================================================