Public Policy Connections

Governor's Office Considering Closing the State Library of Massachusetts

At a press conference on 29 October the Governor's Office announced that Governor Patrick is considering closing the State Library of Massachusetts as a cost-saving measure. The State Library of Massachusetts now has an online petition to collect support to ensure that these collections remain freely accessible to all members of the public. 

A press release issued the same day addresses Massachusetts' budget gap, but doesn’t specifically mention the State Library. The press release does say that state agencies have been asked to prepare for additional cuts. 

UK Government Considering New Measures to Tackle Illegal File Sharing and Solicits Stakeholder Feedback

The UK Government is considering new measures on tackling illegal file sharing. Under new proposals, internet service providers would be obliged to block access to download sites, throttle broadband connections, or temporarily cut off access for repeat offenders.
Read news story.

To enable stakeholders to provide feedback on the new proposals, the UK Government issued an explanatory statement and extended the current consultation on unlawful P2P file sharing to 29 September.
Read BIS news release.

SLA Joins Alliance Calling for Investigation into Google Books Settlement

Newly formed Open Books Alliance seeks resolution on issues of copyright, access, anti-trust, and privacy.
Read SLA's press release.

SLA has been active in discussions with Google about the proposed Book Search Settlement.

Roberta I. Shaffer Appointed Law Librarian of Congress

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has appointed Roberta I. Shaffer to the position of Law Librarian of Congress.
Read news release from the Library of Congress.

New Web Archiving Service Available from CDL

California Digital Library's new Web Archiving Service (WAS) enables researchers and librarians to capture, curate, and preserve Web sites. The WAS is the result of a 4.5-year grant awarded by the Library of Congress National Digital Information and Infrastructure Preservation Program (NDIIPP). The NDIIPP’s mission is to develop a national strategy to collect, preserve, and make available digital content, especially materials that are created only in digital formats, for current and future generations.
Read UC news release.

Librarian Nominated as U.S. Archivist

On 28 July, President Obama nominated David Ferriero as Archivist of the United States, National Archives and Records Administration. Ferriero currently serves as the Andrew W. Mellon Director of the New York Public Libraries.
Read news story about the nomination.

Site Created to Study and Discuss Google Book Search Settlement

The Public Index is a new Web site created to study and discuss the proposed Google Book Search settlement. The site is a project of the Public-Interest Book Search Initiative and the Institute for Information Law and Policy at New York Law School.

SLA has been active in discussions with Google about the proposed settlement.

Library of Congress Launches Program to Test Cloud Technologies for Digital Content Preservation

The Library of Congress National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program has launched a pilot program to test cloud technologies for preserving digital content. Cloud technologies use remote computers to provide local services through the Internet. The test will cover both storage and access services, including content replication and monitoring services that span multiple cloud-storage providers.
Read news story from the Library of Congress.

DOJ Investigating Google Books Settlement

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has opened a formal investigation into the settlement between Google and book publishers over digital publishing rights. In a letter sent last week to the federal judge charged with reviewing the settlement, the DOJ said it was reviewing concerns that the agreement could violate the Sherman Antitrust Act.

SLA has been active in discussions with Google about the proposed settlement. At SLA’s 2009 Public Policy Update, Dan Clancy, engineering director, Google Book Search, provided an overview of the scope of the Google Book Search Settlement Agreement and addressed various concerns and questions from audience members.
Read more.

Library of Congress Providing Free Online Access to CSB

The Library of Congress is providing free online access to the entire 31 years of the Cataloging Service Bulletin (CSB). The CSB is a quarterly bulletin that includes current, new and revised information about the Library’s cataloging and classification practices and policies. The bulletin can be viewed at www.loc.gov/cds/PDFdownloads/csb/.  Hard copies or paper versions of the bulletin are still available by paid subscription.
Read Library of Congress news release.