_________________________________________________________________ ALAWON Volume 7, Number 127 ISSN 1069-7799 October 15, 1998 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: (125 lines) [1] NEGOTIATORS NEAR FINAL AGREEMENT WITHOUT LIBRARY AND SCHOOL FILTERING AMENDMENTS; THANKS TO LIBRARY ADVOCATES [2] COMMERCE DEPARTMENT AWARDS FY98 TIIAP GRANTS _________________________________________________________________ [1] NEGOTIATORS NEAR FINAL AGREEMENT WITHOUT LIBRARY AND SCHOOL FILTERING AMENDMENTS; THANKS TO LIBRARY ADVOCATES As of October 15 congressional and White House negotiators seem to be finishing up an agreement on many issues to be included in the omnibus funding bill for FY99. According to several congressional sources, no provisions to require libraries and schools to install blocking and filtering software are expected to be included. This is good news, although the situation remains fluid and details are still in flux on this huge measure. Thanks to all the library advocates who responded to the last minute urgent alert on the Istook amendment, which would have imposed filtering requirements on libraries and schools as a condition of receiving federal funds. Your action clearly had a significant impact. In other developments, the Online Children's Protection Act (H.R. 3783), sponsored by Rep. Michael Oxley (R-OH) and passed by the House, likely will be included in the omnibus bill. However, this bill, designed to prohibit commercial distribution on the Web to minors of materials that is "harmful to minors," is still in dispute with the White House which, according to newspaper sources, says it is unconstitutional. Also, negotiators have reportedly agreed on more than $1 billion in new funding for teachers and teacher training -- a priority of President Clinton's to reduce class size -- but have dropped another Administration request for school construction funds. A House-Senate version of the Reading Excellence Act (H.R. 2614) is also to be included in the omnibus bill, plus $260 million in appropriations for this children's literacy measure that originated with the Administration's America Reads initiative. The congressional version evolved into a bill focused on professional development to better train teachers, reading specialists and other instructional personnel, including school library media specialists. _________________________________________________________________ [2] COMMERCE DEPARTMENT AWARDS FY98 TIIAP GRANTS The Queens Borough Public Library was among the 46 recipients of the 1998 Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program (TIIAP) awards announced September 28 by Vice President Al Gore and Secretary of Commerce William Daley. Four additional libraries (below) received grants as part of partnerships with local organizations. According to the Commerce Department, grants fund innovative uses of advanced networking technologies which bring the benefits of the Information Age to underserved areas of the country. This year's recipients were chosen from more than 750 applicants. The $18.5 million in TIIAP funds will be matched by $23.9 million in funding from non-federal sources, resulting in a $42.4 million investment in the nation's information infrastructure. After the Commerce Department FY99 appropriation is enacted and the funding level is determined, NTIA will prepare a Notice of Availability of Funds announcing the rules for the 1999 TIIAP competition. The Notice will be published in the Federal Register and on the TIIAP Web site. To request a copy of the Notice mailed, along with the necessary forms and guidelines for preparing applications, send an e-mail request to tiiap@ntia.doc.gov. For a complete list of FY98 TIIAP Awards, go to http://www.ntia.doc.gov/otiahome/tiiap/index.html. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES, LOS ANGELES, CA Providing expanded Internet-based public access to comprehensive property data and neighborhood information to pinpoint disinvestment and map neighborhood assets. Award Amount: $500,000 RECORDING FOR THE BLIND AND DYSLEXIC, PRINCETON, NJ Making educational information accessible online for the blind and dyslexic. Award Amount: $384,891 QUEENS BOROUGH PUBLIC LIBRARY, JAMAICA, NY Using advanced networking technologies to make science and math more accessible to students. Award Amount: $550,000 FRANKLIN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ROCKY MOUNT, VA Establishing technology centers to train adults in basic literacy and technology skills. Award Amount: $225,000 MARSHALL UNIVERSITY RESEARCH CORPORATION, HUNTINGTON, WV Providing a teleconferencing network to rural, underserved communities throughout West Virginia to deliver educational courses and enhance community access to information. Award Amount: $549,932 _________________________________________________________________ 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, go to http://www.ala.org/washoff/ subscribe.html or 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: Carol C. Henderson All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. _________________________________________________________________