Library Juice 3:46 - December 6, 2000


Contents:

  1. International Responsibilities Web Site
  2. Response to Nicholson Baker
  3. Loveless Frump as Hip and Sexy Party Girl
  4. CNN Story about the continuing need for reference librarians
  5. Critical Overview of Electronic Publishing and Librarianship
  6. A Humanist's Struggle to Understand Information as a Commodity
  7. UNESCO Videobank
  8. Alert: IRS proposes free speech regulation by NGOs
  9. Revised ALA Intellectual Freedom Documents
  10. 12th edition of ALA's "Guide to Reference Books"
  11. Mitch Freedman third candidate for ALA President
  12. Cuba Library Program Announced for March 2001
  13. NCLIS Proposes new Federal Government Information Agency
  14. Hayes vs. Tilden; The Electoral College Controversy of 1876-1877

Quote for the week:

"Libraries should permit and encourage a full and free expression of views
by staff on professional and policy matters."

Sanford Berman's suggested addition to the Library Bill of Rights, from
the resolution he proposed to ALA Council in 1999.


Homepage of the week: Sait Faik Bescanlar
http://members.tripod.com/libralord/

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1. International Responsibilities Web Site

Date: Tue, 05 Dec 2000 09:11:15 -0500
From: ttwiss <ttwiss+[at]pitt.edu>
To: SRRT Action Council <srrtac-l[at]ala.org>

The International Responsibilites Task Force of SRRT now has a Web
site.  The URL is http://www.pitt.edu/~ttwiss/irtf/ .  If anyone has
comments, criticisms, or suggestions, please send them to me.  Also, the
list of resolutions related to international issues which are included
on the site is far from complete--especially before 1998.  If anyone has
copies of other resolutions I would like to include them, so please get
in touch with me.

Thanks,
Tom Twiss

--

Tom Twiss
Government Information Librarian
G-22 Hillman Library
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

E-mail: ttwiss+[at]pitt.edu
Phone: (412) 648-7730
FAX: (412) 648-7733
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2. Response to Nicholson Baker

Date: Tue, 05 Dec 2000 16:43:00 -0600
From: "Robert S. Martin" <rmartin3[at]twu.edu>
To: ALA Council List <alacoun[at]ala1.ala.org>

The new issue of FIRST MONDAY includes an interesting article by Richard
Cox in response to Nicholson Baker's arguments about newspaper
preservation:

The Great Newspaper Caper: Backlash in the Digital Age
by Richard Cox
http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue5_12/cox/

IMO, Cox ably exposes the falacies and gross oversimplifications in
Baker's argument.

Bob Martin
Councilor at Large
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3. Loveless Frump as Hip and Sexy Party Girl

Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 14:06:10 -0500
To: FEMINIST[at]MITVMA.MIT.EDU
From: "Christine M. Larson" <larsoch[at]earlham.edu>
Subject: article on librarian stereotypes

Hi everyone,

I've just read:
Adams, Katherine. "Loveless Frump as Hip and Sexy Party Girl." _Library
Quarterly_  70 (July 2000):  287-301.

The title is not perfectly descriptive.  The article uses a theory about
the construction of meaning in stereotypes to suggest that librarians
appropriate the "old maid" stereotype in order to resist, and even change,
the cultural assumptions that helped create the stereotype.

Has anyone else read this?  Comments?

Christine

-----

Christine M. Larson
Reference / Religion Librarian
Earlham College - Earlham School of Religion - Bethany Theological Seminary
Richmond, IN 47374
(765)983-1408
larsoch[at]earlham.edu
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4. CNN Story about the continuing need for reference librarians

Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2000 14:33:43 -0600
From: "Robert S. Martin" <rmartin3[at]twu.edu>
To: ALA Council List <alacoun[at]ala1.ala.org>

There is an interesting story on CNN today about the continuning need
for reference librarians in the digital age.  A quote:

"With seemingly infinite research data at the fingertips of everybody
linked to the Internet, you might think reference librarians are doomed
to go the route of door-to-door salesmen and elevator operators.
Instead, many Internet users have found the information glut daunting
and confusing. And frequently, it's a reference librarian they turn to
make sense of it."

http://www.cnn.com/2000/CAREER/trends/11/28/librarians/index.html

Bob Martin
Councilor at Large
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5.

Notes on a Critical and Skeptical Overview of Electronic Publishing and
Librarianship from the United States

John Buschman

Journal of Information, Law and Technology, 1997 (3)

http://elj.warwick.ac.uk/jilt/elecpub/97_3busc/

Electronic publishing presents the most fundamental challenges to the
practices and values of librarianship. The United States is perhaps the best
case study to highlight and review the issues raised by electronic publishing
in libraries. It is the country which has invested both broadly and deeply in
electronic resources, both generally and in libraries. It is also the country
which has promoted - through both the public and private sectors - the idea
and the image of an information revolution. In short, libraries and
electronic publishing are seen to have the same future in the United States.
In this environment, problematic issues are not generally raised or actively
discussed by library professionals. A brief, critical review of those issues
concerning electronically-published products includes:

The paper concludes with recommendations for librarianship in approaching
these resources.
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6.

A Penny For Your Thoughts: A Humanist's Struggle to Understand
Information as a Commodity

LIS 501, University of Alberta

November 2, 2000
Geoffrey Harder

http://plaza.powersurfr.com/geoffrey/papers/commodweb.html

Intro:

Theories of information evolve in relation to the context of their culture
and environment. An individual's ideas, once shared, become information for
someone else. The value of information is dependent on one particular
concept. Information is of value when controlled by one group and desired by
another. This understated reality is a reflection of the current debate
surrounding intellectual property rights and the Internet. Traditionally,
libraries have been the crusaders of information as a social good. In
general, tax-based libraries fight tooth-and-nail to defend the principle of
equal and unrestricted access of information for all. One could even go so
far as to argue this is a founding principle of the public library. Indeed,
it was recorded that Asinius Pollio (76BC-AD5), the librarian of the first
public library, "made the talents of men the common property of all" (McGarry
111). But what factors govern the right to buy, sell or freely-trade
information? The advent of the electronic age has forced librarians, among
many other groups, to re-examine what the value of information is and who has
the right to access to it.

 The mandate of libraries as providers of free information has been
challenged by the increasing shift towards understanding information as a
commodity. This paper will examine the literature, both library and
information-related, which has been written on this evolution. Factors
considered will be: the value and nature of information, the political and
economic influences on information as a commodity, the perception of
information as a social good, and the implications of shifting perspectives
for libraries. Having examined the literature, it will become clear that
libraries must advocate the social good of information and resist the
temptation to commercialize it. Technology is not the culprit. Rather, it is
the profit-oriented culture that has developed parallel to it, which is to
blame.
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7. UNESCO Videobank

http://www2.unesco.org/videobank/indexe.htm

Recently unveiled by UNESCO, this database indexes "2,000 films and
videos produced or co-produced by the Organisation and it also
features various films deposited at UNESCO by its member states or by
independent producers." The collection covers a wide range of
subjects related to UNESCO's activities and indexes films produced
between 1945 and 1999. Please note that the text of search returns is
primarily in French, though a full English version is promised for
the near future. Users may browse by theme, subject, country, or
year, or enter keyword searches in English or French. Search returns
include title, type of film or video, support, themes, subjects,
country, a one-sentence description, year, and copyright holder.
Information on how to request the use of films is provided at the
site. [MD]

> From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2000.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
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8. Alert: IRS proposes free speech regulation by NGOs

Date: Fri, 1 Dec 2000 18:16:11 -0800
From: Mark Wieder <mwieder[at]well.com>
To: PLG listserv <plgnet-l[at]listproc.sjsu.edu>
Reply to: Mark Wieder <mwieder[at]well.com>

Action alert:

The IRS is requesting comments on a proposal to hold non-profit
organizations liable for the comments made by visitors to their
websites and by the actions of organizations to which the websites
have links. This would seriously curtail the abilities of NGOs to use
the internet. The public comment period is open until February 13,
2001. You can see the full announcement at
http://www.indymedia.org/display.php3?article_id=11680

The text of the Request For Comment is on pages 40-42 of
http://ftp.fedworld.gov/pub/irs-irbs/irb00-42.pdf

I feel rather strange about being bedfellows with Dick Armey on this,
but he's got a good article about this issue in Tech Law Journal
http://www.techlawjournal.com/agencies/irs/internet/20001016.asp
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9. Revised ALA Intellectual Freedom Documents

Date: Mon, 04 Dec 2000 11:19:56 -0600
From: "Don Wood" <dwood[at]ala.org>
To: Intellectual Freedom Action News <ifaction[at]ala1.ala.org>
Reply to: dwood[at]ala.org

The Office for Intellectual Freedom is working with ALA Editions
toward publication of the sixth edition of the Intellectual Freedom
Manual.  As part of the standard operating procedure for preparing to
publish each new edition, the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee
reviewed all ALA policies in the Manual and those that were developed
since the fifth edition was published.  The following documents have
been updated:

The Freedom to Read Statement
(http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/freeread.html);

Access to Library Resources and Services Regardless of Gender or
Sexual Orientation (http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/acc_gend.html);

Access to Resources and Services in the School Library Media Program
(http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/accmedia.html);

Library-Initiated Programs as a Resource
(http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/lib_res.html);

Restricted Access to Library Materials
(http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/rest_mat.html);

Guidelines and Considerations for Developing a Public Library
Internet Use Policy (http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/internet.html);

Guidelines for the Development of Policies and Procedures Regarding
User Behavior and Library Usage
(http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/usage.html);

Dealing with Concerns about Library Resources
(http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/dealingwithconcerns.html);

Statement on Library Use of Filtering Software
(http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/filt_stm.html); and

Questions and Answers: Access to Electronic Information, Services,
and Networks: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights
(http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/oif_q&a.html).

ALA Council adopted a new Interpretation of the Library Bill of
Rights: Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries: An
Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights
(http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/ifprinciplesacademiclibraries.html).

The ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee rescinded Frequently Asked
Internet Questions, since this document is superceded by the Libraries
& the Internet Toolkit
(http://www.ala.org/pio/internettoolkit/index.html) and other
documents.

_______________________

Don Wood
Program Officer/Communications
American Library Association
Office for Intellectual Freedom
50 East Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611
312-280-4225
800-545-2433, ext. 4225
Fax: 312-280-4227
dwood[at]ala.org
http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/index.html
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10. 12th edition of ALA's "Guide to Reference Books"

Date:    Tue, 5 Dec 2000 21:51:47 -0500
From:    librefed <librefed[at]kent.edu>
Subject: 12th edition of ALA "Guide to Reference Books"

>===== Original Message From Bob Kieft <rkieft[at]haverford.edu> =====

In my capacity as General Editor of the forthcoming 12th edition of ALA
Editions' "Guide to Reference Books," I am sending this note to listservs
that reach reference and collection development librarians in order to
solicit opinion from them about the book. ALA Editions held a focus group
at ALA Annual Conference in the summer of 1999, and as we begin the project
in earnest I thought that I would enlarge the body of opinion available to
the project by inviting readers of this message to complete an online
survey about their use of the Guide and its place in their work. The survey
will be found at:
http://www.haverford.edu/library/reference/rkieft/grb/survey.html. Please
take a few minutes to complete it.

Respondents may be interested to know that on Monday, January 15, at
Midwinter Conference in Washington, DC, the Reference Publishing Advisory
Committee of RUSA/CODES will host a discussion of the Guide. On that
occasion, I would hope to raise some of the larger questions asked on the
survey form and to hear from librarians in attendance any views they would
care to share about the Guide. You will find particulars about the session
on the Committee's website at
http://aztec.lib.utk.edu/brpac/midwinterpgm.htm. I hope to see many readers
of this message there.

Thanks in advance for completing the survey form.

Bob Kieft
Librarian of the College
Magill Library
Haverford College
Haverford, PA 19041-1392
rkieft[at]haverford.edu
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11. Mitch Freedman third candidate for ALA President

In addition to the two candidates for ALA President recently announced,
a third candidate has joined the race: Mitch Freedman!

As editor of Library Juice I am happy to endorce Mitch Freedman for
ALA President. Here is a link to the ALA announcement and Mitch's
campaign statement.

Mitch Freedman, SRRT Member, seeks 2002-2003 ALA Presidency
http://www.ala.org/news/v6n8/Freedman_president.html

Maurice J. (Mitch)
Freedman
for ALA President

Why I'm running for ALA President:

I want to be ALA President because librarianship is not simply a
profession to me.  Keeping America's libraries free, open, uncensored and
well funded is my passion.  My career has been on the front lines of
Librarianship.

I know how to organize people and resources, to lead in tough situations,
and to achieve results.

If elected, I will:

Qualifications:

I care deeply about libraries and my entire career demonstrates the depth
of my commitment in all of the settings in which I have worked.  I have a
strong commitment to the mission of libraries as a public good and as an
essential means to inform society and maintain our democracy can understand
and articulate issues, and know how to work creatively toward solutions.
I have developed consensus building skills - as head of a cooperative
system - that are especially valuable for dealing with the needs of
competing units and perspectives in ALA.  I know how to use technology as a
means to better serve the user, and have been recognized for this, e.g. as
a recipient of the LITA Award for Achievement.  I have been a staunch
defender of intellectual freedom; I was the only librarian who participated
and testified in the ACLU/ALA lawsuit to overthrow New York State's
"harmful to minors" Internet law; I received the ACLU/Westchester Award in
large part for the role I played.  I successfully automated cataloging at
the Hennepin County Library by creating an authority controlled book
catalog that was state-of-the-art in photocomposition, computer filing,
usability by the public, and that employed bias-free and contemporary
terminology.

As Executive Assistant, I was part of the management team at LC's
Processing Department for two massive projects, the National Program for
Acquisition and Cataloging (NPAC), and the Mansell National Union Catalog
of Pre-1956 Imprints. It was great training for future challenges.

Selected ALA & Other Assignments (too numerous to list all):

Experience

Consultant on four continents for such libraries as:

Extensive Publications on technology, public libraries & intellectual
freedom

Education

Newark (NJ) Rutgers, BA
University of California, Berkeley, School of Librarianship, MLS
Rutgers University, PhD
Maurice J. (Mitch) Freedman for ALA President (continued)

Maurice J. (Mitch) Freedman
for ALA President
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12. Cuba Library Program Announced for March 2001

Date: Fri, 1 Dec 2000 00:18:31 -0600
From: "Rhonda L. Neugebauer" <rhonda[at]southwind.net>
To: ALA International Relations Round Table <alaworld[at]ala1.ala.org>

Dear ALA members:

I would like to invite you all to participate in a research program to Cuba
this spring. The trip promises to be an interesting and informative program
with lively professional exchanges between U.S. and Cuban librarians at
every stop. This trip is timed to coincide with a conference organized by
the Casa de las Americas entitled, "From Papyrus to the Virtual Library,"
from March 19-23 in Habana.  The librarians at Casa de las Americas have
extended to our delegation a special invitation for participation in this
conference. After the conference, we will visit many libraries and cultural
sites. Please let me know if you are interested in attending this program.

If you are not able to attend this March trip, please consider attending
Susan Weber's trip in February  (contact her at susanaquerida[at]yahoo.cu).
For a summary of the trip I organized in March 2000, please see my article
hosted on the Library Juice website
(http://libr.org/Juice/issues/vol3/LJ_3.34.sup.html.  Thanks.

Regards, Rhonda L. Neugebauer

PS:  Please contact me if you are interested in attending this trip or
future trips, I will be able to answer inquiries after Dec. 10.  Thanks for
your interest.
**************************************************************

Cuba Library Program Announced for March 18-31, 2001

ALA members members are invited to participate in an educational
experience and professional seminar in Cuba for librarians and scholars as
part of the
Cuba Library Program to be held March 18-31, 2001.  Participants will learn
about and experience one of the most fascinating countries in the world, and
will meet with Cuban library professionals, scholars and educators.  The
program will consist of visits to libraries, archives, universities,
cultural institutions, and other places of historical and cultural
significance.

There will be an opportunity, also to attend a Colloquium at the Casa de las
Americas, a literary publishing house in Habana.  The conference, "Del
Papiru a la Biblioteca Virtual" (From Papyrus to the Virtual Library) will
explore library history, current activities and future directions.
Participants are also invited to contribute to a series of "professional
exchanges" at several Cuban libraries, such as the National Library, the
Institute of History, the Academy of Sciences and several public libraries.
These exchanges are designed to explore issues of mutual interest to Cuban
and U.S. librarians and scholars and to examine various aspects of U.S. and
Cuban librarianship, skills, professional tools and practices, philosophy
and values.  The cost of the program will be $1700-$1900 (final price will
depend on airfare and hotel availability).  The price includes airfare from
Miami (or another country) and within Cuba, one meal per day, hotel
accommodations (single room extra), and local transportation to
events/locales.  For more information, contact the Program Organizer, Rhonda
L. Neugebauer, Wichita State University, (316) 651-5744 (H); (316) 978-5079
(W); or email neugebau[at]twsuvm.uc.twsu.edu or rhonda[at]southwind.net.

Rhonda L. Neugebauer
Librarian, Wichita State University
Past-President, Wichita Area Library Association
Publisher: "E-resources for Latin American Studies"
www2.southwind.net/~rhonda/eresources/eresources1.html
Coordinator, Kansas-El Salvador Sister Cities Network

Address:  2510 Beacon Hill
Wichita Kansas 67220
(316) 651-5744
rhonda[at]southwind.net or
neugebau[at]twsuvm.uc.twsu.edu

Those who'd like to hear a report on last March's
library tour to Cuba, Rhonda Neugebauer's report is
at: http://libr.org/Juice/issues/vol3/LJ_3.34.sup.html

Rhonda L. Neugebauer
Librarian, Wichita State University
Past-President, Wichita Area Library Association
Publisher: "E-resources for Latin American Studies"
www2.southwind.net/~rhonda/eresources/eresources1.html
Coordinator, Kansas-El Salvador Sister Cities Network

Address:  2510 Beacon Hill
Wichita Kansas 67220
(316) 651-5744
rhonda[at]southwind.net or
neugebau[at]twsuvm.uc.twsu.edu
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13. NCLIS Proposes new Federal Government Information Agency

Date: Sat, 02 Dec 2000 14:21:34 -0600
From: "Althea Jenkins" <ajenkins[at]ala.org>
To: ACRL Leads <acrleads[at]ala1.ala.org>
Subject: NCLIS Proposes New Federal Gov't Info Agency  (fwd)

[1] NCLIS PROPOSES NEW FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INFORMATION AGENCY

The National Commission on Library and Information Science (NCLIS)
has unveiled a legislative proposal which would establish a new
federal government information agency. NCLIS has proposed the
creation of a "Public Information Resources Agency - PIRA.  The
"working draft" legislative proposal was distributed along with
NCLIS' Executive Summary of its Comprehensive Assessment of Public
Information Dissemination at its November 15th meeting in
Washington, D.C.  This report and proposal, once finalized by
NCLIS in December, will go to Senator John McCain (R-Az) and
others in Congress.

PIRA's "primary mission [would be] to serve as the federal
government's focal point for providing timely dissemination and
permanent public availability for its public information
resources."  If Congress and others would approve such an agency,
it would be part of the Executive Branch and would consolidate the
Superintendent of Documents (SuDOc) the Government Printing Office
(GPO), including the Federal Depository Library Program and the
National Technical Information Service (NTIS.)

Under the NCLIS proposal, the SuDOc would be called the
Superintendent of Public Information Resources (SuPIR) and the
FDLP would be called the Public Information Resources Access
Program or PIRAP.

The NCLIS' working draft proposal, the Executive Summary and a
related NCLIS Fact Sheet are available at the NCLIS web site at:
http://www.nclis.gov/govt/assess/assess.html

The pertinent documents are listed at that web page under the
section:

2.Study Goals, Organization, Plans, Meetings, & Schedules
* Recommendation for Strengthening of the Federal Depository
Library Program - November 16, 2000
* First Draft, Executive Summary, NCLIS Final Report - December
15, 2000 (in PDF format)
* Excerpted Key Draft Sections From Proposed New Legislation -
November 14, 2000 (in PDF format)

ALA and many other stakeholders in this debate are reviewing these
materials, especially the legislative proposal.  NCLIS would like
to have a round of written public comments by November 22.  They
have announced a December 4th meeting for public comments to be
made prior to subsequent NCLIS approval around December 18th.

However, there are many, many more steps in what will be a long
process and vigorous debate.  ALA and different ALA units will be
discussing this at the Midwinter Conference in January.  Watch for
further information.

[2] NCLIS Statement to ALAWON Subscribers

The U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science
(NCLIS) is interested in your comments on a proposal to strengthen
the Federal Depository Library Program that was unveiled at its
meeting yesterday (November 15th). The Fact Sheet inserted below
will be available today on the Commission website at
www.nclis.gov/govt/assess/fdlpfact.html.

You have two remaining opportunities to make WRITTEN COMMENTS on
the Commission's draft report on its Comprehensive Assessment of
Public Information Dissemination and the proposed legislation.
Both have very short deadlines.

(1) Initial comments should be provided to the Commission NOT
LATER THAN noon on Wednesday, November 22, so they can be
evaluated and incorporated in the draft final report (including
the proposed legislation) to be posted for
public comment the following week.

(2) The Commission deadline for submission of its final report to
the Congress and the Administration is December 15, 2000, so final
comments must be received NOT LATER THAN 9 a.m. Monday, December
11, 2000.

The Commission is also planning a PUBLIC MEETING in Washington,
DC, on Monday, December 4th, to receive public comments on the
draft final report and proposed legislation. Details about the
time and place will be provided as soon as the arrangements are
completed.

Additional information on, and a variety of documents related to,
the Assessment are available on the Commission website at
www.nclis.gov/govt/assess/assess.html. Comments should be sent to
Woody Horton by e-mail at whorton[at]nclis.gov or by fax at 202-606-
9203.

* * * * * * * * *

FACT SHEET

Recommendation for Strengthening of the Federal Depository Library
Program Under the Public Information Resources Reform Act of 2001
To Be Recommended By the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and
Information Science (NCLIS)

As part of its Comprehensive Assessment of Public Information
Dissemination, the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and
Information Science (NCLIS) will recommend strengthening of the
Federal Depository Library Program. This Fact Sheet summarizes the
changes under consideration by the Commission. You have two
remaining opportunities to make comments. Initial comments should
be provided to the Commission NOT LATER THAN noon on Wednesday,
November 22, so they can be evaluated and incorporated in the
draft final report (including the proposed legislation) to be
posted for public comment the following week. The Commission
deadline for submission of its final report to the Congress and
the Administration is December 15, 2000, so final comments must be
received NOT LATER THAN 9 a.m. Monday, December 11, 2000.
Additional information on the Assessment is available on the
Commission website at www.nclis.gov/govt/assess/assess.html.
Comments should be sent to Woody Horton by e-mail at
whorton[at]nclis.gov or by fax at 202-606-9203.

The Commission study findings underscore the need to preserve and
strengthen the missions and functions of the Superintendent of
Documents and NTIS. The missions of both organizations have been
adversely impacted and placed at risk by the rapidly changing
information technologies for public information creation and
dissemination, financial losses and reduced appropriations, and
statutes that are out of date. Furthermore, these programs,
individually and collectively, do not provide comprehensive
identification, acquisition, organization, and cataloging/indexing
of public information resources or ensure timely delivery of
public information resources and permanent public availability of
those resources.

Therefore, the Commission plans to recommend the creation of an
agency whose primary mission is to serve as the federal
government*s focal point for providing timely dissemination and
permanent public availability for its public information
resources. This agency, provisionally called the Public
Information Resources Administration (PIRA), will be in the
Executive Branch, and will bring together under one management the
programs currently under the Superintendent of Documents at GPO,
including the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), and the
National Technical Information Service (NTIS), as well as other
information sales and dissemination programs.

In the Commission's recommendation, the Superintendent of
Documents is renamed the Superintendent of Public Information
Resources (SuPIR), reporting directly to the head of the PIRA.
The FDLP is renamed the Public Information Resources Access
Program (PIRAP) and the Federal Depository Libraries are renamed
Public Information Resources Access Libraries (PIRA Libraries).
The basic structure of the FDLP is not changed by this
recommendation.  Congressional designation and other criteria for
becoming a Federal Depository Library are not changed.  However,
the breadth of public information resources available to the
public through the PIRA Libraries is vastly expanded.

The proposed definition of Government Publication is broadened
to mean any Government information product or service that is
created, compiled, produced, or maintained by or for the Federal
government, at Government expense, or as required by law,
regardless of form, format or medium; the term includes both
"Internal Information Resources" and external "Public
Information Resources".  "Internal Information Resources" are
limited to government information products or services that are
excluded from public use because (a) they have been determined by
the issuing components to be required for official use only or (b)
they have been determined by the issuing components to be for
strictly administrative or operational purposes and have no public
interest or educational value, or (c) they are classified
for reasons of national security or constrained by another statute
such as the Privacy Act.  There is a binding appeals through PIRA
for items determined by agencies to be strictly internal or
operational. Public Information Resources are therefore expanded
to cover all "Government Publications" that are not excluded from
public use under the provisions above, and all public information
resources are available to the public without charge through the
PIRA Libraries.

Under the Commission recommendations:

The proposed legislation should be read and evaluated in the
context of the strategic recommendations in the Commission's draft
report posted at www.nclis.gov/govt/assess/execsum.pdf. The
purpose of the proposed legislation is to bring together in a
systematic fashion all of the key elements necessary for
comprehensive public information resources management
and to elevate the importance of Federal government public
information resources to the status of a strategic national asset.
It also includes the creation of government-wide information
dissemination budget line item in the President's budget and in
each agency budget. The Commission believes that this legislative
proposal is the best means for implementation of its
recommendations because it will draw attention to the issues and
create a debate about appropriate solutions. However, many of the
Commission's recommendations can and should be implemented,
whether or not the proposed legislation is acted upon by the
Congress.

Excerpted key sections of the draft legislation, primarily
purpose, functions and definitions, are available at
www.nclis.gov/govt/assess/legisum.pdf. However, the excerpts do
not include all of the details summarized above, nor do they
address financing, staffing and other administrative matters. The
complete legislative proposal will be posted with the draft final
report during the week of November 27th.

forwarded by

Marcia I. Batchelor, MSLS, AHIP
Chief, Medical Library
Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA 98431
i253-968-1135 voice,  253-968-0958 fax
marcia.batchelor[at]nw.amedd.army.mil

Vicki Croft, M.S.L.S., AHIP
Health Sciences Library
Washington State University
PO Box 646512
Pullman, WA 99164-6512 USA
Email: croft[at]wsu.edu     IP: 134.121.128.61
Fax: +01 509-335-5158   Phone: +01 509-335-5544

John Webb
Assistant Director for Collections and Systems
Washington State University Libraries
Pullman, WA 99164-5610
jwebb[at]wsu.edu
509-335-9133    FAX 509-335-6721
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14.

Finding Precedent: Hayes vs. Tilden; The Electoral College
Controversy of 1876-1877
http://elections.harpweek.com/controversy.htm

This new site from Harpweek explores the Electoral College
controversy of 1876-1877. Long forgotten except by scholars, this
episode in American history has, of course, taken on new resonance
over the past few weeks. At the site, visitors can read a
fairly-detailed overview, browse 23 annotated cartoons and
illustrations (most from _Harper's Weekly_), read biographies of the
major figures, and read a day-by-day account of the events. Compact
but detailed, this site is an outstanding online learning resource
that will appeal to a wide cross-section of users. [MD]

> From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2000.
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
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