Public Policy Connections

Obama Letter Supports EPA Libraries

On 20 October, Barack Obama sent a letter to the National President of the American Federation of Government Employees to share his views on the importance of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in an Obama Administration.

The letter addresses inadequate funding for the EPA and the weakening enforcement and oversight of many environmental laws and regulations. In addition the letter states that the “…EPA was established to be the nation's leader in environmental science, research, and education – yet these are the three fields which have been damaged by politics and ideology. I strongly oppose attempts by the Bush Administration to thwart publication of EPA researchers' scientific findings, as well as the attempt to eliminate the agency's library system.”

Library of Congress and National Library of China Sign World Digital Library Agreement

The Library of Congress and the National Library of China have signed an agreement to work collaboratively in developing the World Digital Library.  The two libraries agreed to provide content to the World Digital Library and to cooperate in such areas as the development and maintenance of the Chinese-language interface, the convening of international working groups to plan and develop the project, and the formation of an advisory committee of leading scholars and curators to recommend important collections about the culture and history of China for inclusion in the World Digital Library.

The goal of the World Digital Library is to represent major world cultures in a way that contributes to better understanding among different cultures, as well as to serve the needs of scholars and researchers.

Read News from the Library of Congress.

Call for Nominations: IFLA Section Standing Committees for 2009-2013

SLA is compiling a list of potential candidates to serve on various International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Section Standing Committees for the period from August 2009 to August 2013. For full description of the IFLA nomination process and timeline please go here.

IFLA and SLA partner on various programs and initiatives. IFLA's professional program is divided into sections, with each section governed by a democratically elected Standing Committee consisting of professionals with expertise and an interest in its field of interest. Serving on a Section Standing Committee is one of the best ways of contributing to the work of Standing Committees are at the heart of the federation, and they help develop policies, carry out surveys and other projects, prepare guidelines, and organize open sessions and workshops at the general conference.

Serving on a Standing Committee provides opportunities for professional development and networking with colleagues from many different countries. It also gives the individual an opportunity to help advance the profession. It is important to note that SLA does not pay or subsidize expenses associated with serving on IFLA committees. There is a considerable commitment of both time and expense that you and/or your organization must be able to assume. Please read more details here.

SLA currently belongs to 23 of the 45 IFLA Sections. To view the various sections, along with SLA-nominated representatives to these IFLA Sections, please visit here.

If you are interested in being nominated, please contact Doug Newcomb, SLA’s Chief Policy Officer, at dnewcomb@sla.org by 15 December 2008.

DMCA Video Interview Series Presented by Public Knowledge

On 27 October, the 10th anniversary of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), Public Knowledge staff started posting a series of video interviews with scholars, educators, and innovators affected by the DMCA. There are eight installments to PK's "10 Years of the DMCA Video Interview Series".

UN Launches Audiovisual Library of International Law

The United Nations Office of Legal Affairs has launched the Audiovisual Library of International Law. The Audiovisual Library is a unique, multimedia resource which provides the United Nations with the unprecedented capacity to provide high quality international law training and research materials to an unlimited number of recipients on a global level.

WIPO Study on Copyright Exceptions and Limitations for Libraries and Archives now Available

A Study on Copyright Exceptions and Limitations for Libraries and Archives, commissioned by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and prepared by Professor Kenneth Crews, Columbia University, is now available.

For the first time, library exceptions have been gathered from 149 countries, providing an analytical survey of the law with respect to libraries and library services. The study suggests that librarians want laws that would clarify types of services that information professionals can provide to their users without violating copyright law.