Public Policy Connections

Letter Opposes NAL FY2009 Funding Decrease

On 15 May 2006, SLA wrote a letter to the Chairwoman and the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Agriculture, Rural Development, and Related Agencies urging support for a more fully funded Fiscal Year 2009 appropriation for the National Agriculture Library (NAL). The President’s proposed FY2009 Budget request of $18 million will significantly affect the NAL’s ability to maintain services at the current level, and is $4 million (18.8%) less than the 2008 budget and $6 million (25%) less than the 2007 budget. SLA states that the proposed reduction in funding will have a severe impact on the NAL.  Read letter.

ACT NOW! US National Agricultural Library Services Endangered

Oppose FY2009 Budget Cuts

Please contact your members of Congress today and ask them to OPPOSE the proposed FY2009 budget cuts to the National Agricultural Library (NAL). The President's FY2009 budget request of 18 million dollars for the US National Agricultural Library is 4 million dollars (18.8%) less than the 2008 budget, and 6 million dollars (25%) less than the 2007 budget.

The NAL is the largest agricultural library in the world and has been serving agriculture since 1862. Established by Congress, its mission, stated simply, is "to ensure and enhance access to agricultural information for a better quality of life." NAL's work in collecting, preserving, and making agricultural information available is fundamental to the continued well being and growth of U.S. agriculture, and the development of food supplies for the nation and the world.

Act now---go to SLA’s Legislatative Action Center to write a letter.

Read Washington Post article from May 1, 2008

Read Librarian Activist website

Read National Agricultural Library posting from May 5, 2008

SLA Needs Your Immediate Help: Support Orphan Works Legislation (but oppose “dark archive”)

On 1 May 2008, The Library Copyright Alliance (LCA), of which SLA is a member, wrote a letter to Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and Senator Orin Hatch (R-Utah) expressing appreciation for the introduction of S. 2913, which limits remedies in copyright infringement cases involving orphan works. The letter continues by expressing strong opposition to the notice of use filing (the so-called “dark archive”) proposed in the House version of this legislation, H.R. 5889, as the requirement of such a filing would dramatically limit the utility of the legislation. Read letter.

If you have a representative serving on the U.S House of Representatives “Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property,” please contact them in support of  the proposed Orphan Works Legislation, but in opposition to the "dark archive" that is proposed in the House version of H.R. 5889.

Go to http://capwiz.com/sla/home/ for full details, listing of Subcommittee members, and draft letter for electronic submission. 

Questions? Please contact Doug Newcomb, SLA Policy Chief at dnewcomb@sla.org.

SLA Comments on the Draft UNESCO Framework for Cultural Statistics

On 30 April 2008, SLA wrote a letter to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) in overall support of the UIS process of consulting Member States on a new approach to collect internationally comparable statistics on a range of activities related to the production, circulation, and use of cultural products in revising the 1986 UNESCO Framework for Cultural Statistics. The letter specifically addresses, and deems relevant, the revised framework on how libraries, library services, and members of the global library and information profession are measured on a international level. Read letter.

LC European Room to Remain Open, Moves Permanently

Recently, it was rumored the European Reading Room in the Library of Congress (LC), which focuses on information relating to European collections, may be closing. This is not the case, and the LC issued a press release with more details. Read LC press release. Questions still remained, so SLA contacted LC staff with questions. Deanna Marcum, Associate Librarian for Library Services, promptly replied. Questions and answers have been listed below:

SLA Staff (SLA): When will the move be implemented? How will it be advertised?

Deanna Marcum (DM): The move will occur, most probably, in late June. We will send information to the listservs most widely read by the European Reading Room constituents. We will also issue an announcement from the Library's Public Affairs Office.

SLA:  During the move, will resources be available?

DM:  We have pledged that there would be no interruption in service. The new space will be ready by the moving date, and the work will be done over a weekend.

SLA: Will the new space accommodate the entire collection currently housed in the European Reading Room?

DM: The reference materials now available to scholars will continue to be available in the new space. Many of the books in the current Reading Room are decorative only and not available to the public. There are already some reference materials housed on Deck 13. We are working with designers now on the layout of the new space. It may be necessary to put a few more reference materials on Deck 13, but our strong wish is to keep all of the current reference resources conveniently at hand for the scholars.

SLA: How easy is it to access the materials housed on Deck 13?

DM: Patrons are not allowed onto the Deck 13, for security reasons, but reference staff retrieves materials from that area for the patrons in about five minutes.

SLA:  How much seating will be in the new space vs. current space?

DM: There are 36 reading spaces in the current reading room (although 19 simultaneous readers is our current high). The new space will have 18-20 reading spaces, depending upon the design ultimately selected.

SLA: Will the new space offer reserve shelves? How close to a photocopier is it?

DM: The design work is still underway, so I cannot answer your question about reserve shelves. A photocopier will be in the new reading room. That is one of the requirements submitted by the European Reading Room staff.

SLA:  Will on-line catalogs be available in the new space?

DM: The same number of PC's and databases that are in the current space will be in the new space.

SLA:  Will patrons be able to interact with staff in the same way as before?

DM: Yes.

SLA: Will staff levels remain the same?

DM: Yes.

SLA:  How long will this relocation be in place?

DM: This will be a permanent relocation.

Please contact SLA’s Chief Policy Officer, Doug Newcomb, with any questions or additional information.  dnewcomb@sla.org.

Groups Request Public Input on Rules Regarding CUI

SLA and other organizations have written to White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten regarding the need for public input before the final issuance of new rules on Controlled Unclassified Information. The prevalent use of control markings on non-classified federal records is widely recognized to interfere with information sharing and public disclosure, and thus to have an inpact on public health, safety and security, as well as government accountability.Read letter.

SLA Supports U.K. Gowers Copyright Consultation

SLA wrote a letter to the Copyright and Intellectual Property Enforcement Directorate at Gowers Copyright Consultation, U.K., in overall support of recommended amendments directed toward changing exceptions in U.K. copyright law. SLA applauded the Gowers Copyright Consultation for addressing the current intellectual property law changes in response to growth in the use of digital formats in the U.K. and around the globe.  Read letter.

Letter Sent Expressing Gratitude for Open Access Support

SLA and several organizations sent letters of gratitude to 10 congress members for ensuring the interests of science and taxpayers are advanced via the National Institutes of Health public access requirement. On 7 April, NIH implemented the first U.S. federal policy requiring free online access to the peer-reviewed findings of publicly funded research. Read letter to Congressman Doyle.

Organizations Send Letter in Support of GPO Appropriations Request

SLA and other groups wrote a letter to chairwomen and ranking members of the House and Senate Subcommittees on Legislative Branch on Appropriations. The letter urged support for the Public Printer’s FY 2008 budget request.
Read letter.

EPA Officials Brief SLA on Plans to Reestablish Closed Libraries

On 27 March, 2008, SLA met with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials to review the agency’s report to the U.S. Congress on the future direction of its library network. The report lays out the general approach EPA plans to take for each library location to reopen, and establishes operational standards applicable to all libraries in the EPA network. 
Read press release.