================================================================= ALAWON Volume 7, Number 20 ISSN 1069-7799 February 27, 1998 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: (157 lines) ACTION ALERT: TELL CONGRESS AND THE FCC TO PROTECT THE E-RATE PROGRAM TWO VIDEOCONFERENCES ON UNIVERSAL SERVICE IMPLEMENTATION TO AIR IN MARCH _________________________________________________________________ ACTION ALERT: TELL CONGRESS AND THE FCC TO PROTECT THE E-RATE PROGRAM ACTION ALERT Please contact your U.S. Senators and Representatives (phone: 202/224-3121) as well as the Federal Communications Commission (phone: 202/418-0500) and ask them again to protect the telecommunications discount program. The e-rate program will give urban and rural communities a level playing field to meet our vision of networking every community. For the future of our children, for career and economic development, for rural health care, and for life-long learning -- these discounts are needed in schools, libraries and rural health care facilities in every community to assure universal access to networking and telecommunications services. MESSAGE Tell Congress and the Federal Communications Commission: * DON'T CUT FUNDING FOR THESE DISCOUNTS: A $2.25 billion annual cap was put on the part of the universal service fund designated for the school-library program. Maintain this funding and promote the rural health care initiatives. * KEEP ALL ELIGIBLE AND NECESSARY SERVICES IN PLACE: Keep inside connections and related services that will make these networks reach to the end-users. * KEEP THE PROGRAM MOVING FORWARD AND PROTECT THIS AS WELL AS THE ENTIRE UNIVERSAL SERVICE PROGRAM: Don't let other policy disputes disrupt this program. It must move forward to assure every community is connected by the Year 2000. BACKGROUND The telecommunications discount program for libraries, schools, and rural heath care providers--one of the most historic universal service programs mandated in the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and intended to connect rural America and low-income communities--is again threatened even before it has a chance to get off the ground. Rumors have been confirmed that another bill is likely to be introduced next week that would cut the annual cap from $2.25 billion to $625 million. We have not been able to confirm the rumor that inside wiring/connections may be disallowed under the discounts. Clearly, here is another grave assault on this piece of universal service from interests that want to put the bottom line over serving every community in the United States. At this writing approximately 20,000 libraries and schools have applied for universal service support, including more than one-third of all school districts in the United States. Applications from libraries and library consortia account for 20% of total applications so far. We cannot let our communities down! For further information contact Lynne Bradley at the ALA Washington Office at 1-800-941-8478 or at 202/628-8410; E-mail: leb@alawash.org. ________________________________________________________________ TWO VIDEOCONFERENCES ON UNIVERSAL SERVICE IMPLEMENTATION TO AIR IN MARCH Two videoconferences on E-rate implementation will be broadcasted in March. The first satellite teleconference, which is free to libraries and schools, will air Wednesday, March 4 from 2-3:30 pm ET. The second videoconference, a PBS production, "E-Rate: the Implementation," will air Thursday, March 26 from 1-2:30 pm ET. More information on both videoconferences follows: FREE SATELLITE TELECONFERENCE ON E-RATE IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 4 The Schools and Libraries Corporation (SLC), in conjunction with the Virginia Department of Education and The Virginia Satellite Educational Network, will present a live satellite teleconference on Universal Service (E-Rate) Implementation on March 4 from 2-3:30 pm ET. This teleconference is offered free to libraries and schools in the United States. Mickey Revenaugh and other SLC staff will be joined by Jim Calleran and Greg Weisiger of the Virginia Department of Education to discuss implementation issues for the Universal Service program. The teleconference will include an up-to-the-minute program update (including implications of the FCC's Fourth Reconsideration Order) and a briefing on Forms 471 and 486. This program will originate live from the studios of Varina High School, Henrico County, Virginia, and be broadcast on C-Band satellite: Galaxy 6 (74 degrees west) Channel 21 (4120 MHz) Test time: 1:45 PM eastern time Program: 2:00-3:30 PM eastern time Questions from viewers will be taken during the program. For more information, E-mail Greg Weisiger at gweisige@pen.k12.va.us. "E-RATE: THE IMPLEMENTATION" VIDEOCONFERENCE SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 26 E-Rate: the Implementation," a live and interactive program to air March 26 from 1-2:30 pm ET, will provide viewers with guidelines for securing part of the $2.25 billion in discounts on telecommunications services. The videoconference will be produced by Convergence Services, Inc. of Alexandria, VA and distributed by PBS (see ALAWON v7, n15, February 10, 1998). Panelists in the ALA-endorsed March 26 videoconference will include from the Schools and Libraries Corporation (SLC): Ira Fishman, chief executive officer, K.G. Ouye, city librarian of San Mateo (CA) Library and chairperson, and Brian Talbott, executive director of the American Association of Educational Service Agencies and board member. Cheryl Lemke, vice president for Educational Technology at the Milken Family Foundation, will also be a panelist. For information on licensing downlinks for "E-Rate: the Implementation" or locating licensed viewing sites, contact local public television stations or call PBS Customer Service at (800) 257-2578, or visit the PBS website at www.pbs.org/learn/als/programs/live/erate2. ________________________________________________________________ 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. =================================================================