ALAWON v3n31 (July 11, 1994) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v3n31 ****Begin File******************Begin File*******************Begin File**** *************************************************************************** ISSN 1069-7799 ALAWON ALA Washington Office Newsline An electronic publication of the American Library Association Washington Office Volume 3, Number 31 July 11, 1994 In this issue: (342 lines) ALA MEMBERS INVITED TO COMMENT BY JULY 20 ON DRAFT RESPONSE TO ADMINISTRATION'S IITF APPLICATIONS PAPER CHAPTER ON LIBRARIES *************************************************************************** ALA MEMBERS INVITED TO COMMENT BY JULY 20 ON DRAFT RESPONSE TO ADMINISTRATION'S IITF APPLICATIONS PAPER CHAPTER ON LIBRARIES As ALAWON noted in May, Commerce Secretary Ron Brown released on May 4 for public comment a report that focuses on ways that the National Information Infrastructure can be used to strengthen the U.S. economy and improve quality of life. The report, _Putting the Information Infrastructure to Work: A Report of the Information Infrastructure Task Force Committee on Applications and Technology_, looks at seven key applications of the NII, including libraries. The ALA Committee on Legislation's Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Telecommunications, chaired by Elaine Albright of the University of Maine Libraries, discussed the structure of an ALA response during the recent ALA Annual Conference in Miami Beach. A draft outline of a response to the library chapter is appended below. Other chapters are also relevant, such as the chapter on lifelong learning and the chapter on government services. The subcommittee recommended wide distribution of the draft response outline, and would welcome reactions and comments for consideration in ALA's response. The deadline for such comments is July 20, since ALA has been asked for its response by August 2. Send e-mail to alawash@alawash.org or fax comments to the ALA Washington Office at 202- 547-4440. The applications paper is available electronically on the Internet. To retrieve this document gopher or telnet (login as gopher) to iitf.doc.gov Path: #7 Speeches, Testimony, and Documents/#1 Documents and Papers/#4 Putting the Info. Infra. to Work -- Comments Requested (05/04/94)/#8 Library. Also available via anonymous ftp: enh.nist.gov Path: cat_iitf/appl_paper-5-3-94.dir/SELECT ascii.dir OR postscript.dir/library.txt OR library.ps (for text or postscript files). For a paper copy, order PB 94-163383 prepaid from the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161, 703-487-4650; or order NIST Special Publication 857 from the SuDocs, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, 202-783-3238. *************************************************************************** DRAFT The Honorable Ronald H. Brown August 2, 1994 Secretary of Commerce Washington, DC 20230 Dear Secretary Brown: The American Library Association is responding to your May third request for comments on the report from the Information Infrastructure Task Force Committee on Applications and Technology: Putting Information Infrastructure to Work. While our primary focus has been on the chapter entitled " Libraries and the NII" our comments also reflect our review of the other chapters of the report. We congratulate you and members of the Administration for your willingness to invest the time and effort necessary to achieve a wide reaction from public and private sectors to help shape the NII strategies for the Administration. We have been pleased to see the library role and contributions are clearly identified and highlighted. Three observations will complement the recommendations included in the attachment. 1) We strongly support the statement of the report's statement of the goal to "sustain the role of libraries as agents of democratic and equal access to information." In addition to its equity role, the library contribution includes organization and evaluation of information, training and education of citizens, aid to business for economic development, support for health care and education, which all strengthen America's economic and competitive position. 2) Since the nation's libraries will perform a major role in the delivery of information and access during the transition to the NII, we would recommend that you establish a process to identify Federal agency programs that involve or depend on libraries to carry out those tasks. That process might be like requiring the equivalent of an environmental impact statement for Federal agencies. This would conserve scarce Federal resources, capitalize on the public role of libraries and take advantage of the considerable public resources invested in the library infrastructure. 3) The goal of equity of access to information is so important to the goals for the NII that the Federal government should initiate a baseline study or measure of the current state of equity of access. This would help shape the investments and programs for addressing equity of access. We would be glad to discuss our comments in more detail when you think appropriate. Sincerely, American Library Association Comments by the American Library Association on Information Infrastructure Task Force Committee on Applications and Technology: Putting Information Infrastructure to Work 1. General observations Introduction Chapters and the library impact Need to identify library role in delivery of information in these application areas. Recommendations Assess current state of equity in access; set baseline for further measures in order to determine programs. 2. "Libraries and the NII" Part 1: What is the Application Arena Description of Libraries The Traditional Roles of Libraries Observations: 1) p. 83 The description ignores other important roles of libraries in training, education, health information, business information, cultural and social. It doesn't indicated the changes already in the libraries due to the new technology. Collections are already much more than "site specific" and the use for the Internet, while not ubiquitous, already have a significant penetration and use. Might reference NCLIS or other reports on use of the libraries. 2) p.83 "libraries have developed in response to the nature and character of the publicizing communities." Needs to reflect the fact that libraries are the product of pressures from many communities each with needs and roles that are different. The role of libraries in the NII 3) p. 83 Is the definition of the "digital library" sufficient? 4) p. 83 The description of the role of libraries needs to be broadened. Benefits of Applications in this Area 5) p. 85 This section focuses on the "safety net" role without identifying the other roles in training, business, health, etc. Part IV: How are we going to get there? The Transition of Libraries to the NII p.95 6) p. 92 Funding of operations This seems to indicate a federal role in the funding of operations. Given the priorities and weighing investments of scarce government resources, is this the best use of funds? 7) p. 95/96 The focus is almost entirely on the conversion of existing non-digital data. Considering the amount of material produced each year in digital form than at least an equal priority should be given to negotiating agreements and setting standards so that as much new material as possible will be available. 8) p.96 Copyright Comments? 9) p.96 Pilot projects are discussed without taking advantage of the experience with successful ones. that experience points to pilot projects and trials that focus on exploring many different avenues of technology along with many different efforts. 10) Reference to zeroed out titles of LSCA? where does this belong? Which are they? 11) p. 97 Issues and questions Page Issue Questions 96 Copyright How should the How is it Federal government working now? work with the What representative processes are members of the most information effective? community to What are clarify existing principles laws? that can be What kind of pilot stated for projects? the process? 97 Equity of How should the What are Access and Federal government appropriate Education fund programs for funding gateways and the approaches? education of Who provides librarians? what funds? Should the Is refocusing the Federal role LSCA on the be through Gateway role incentives? appropriate? What is the contribution of the telecommunica tions industry? Universal service fund? Is "gateway" to narrow a framing of the issues? Is the knowledge navigator the right role? 97 Digital How should Attention conversion digitalization be should also undertaken? What be on is an appropriate standards, Federal role? planning Importance of securing Library of rights for Congress newly collections in published plans. material. Balance of efforts and emphasis on many projects rather than a few. 98 Federal Where should the What agencies Investment Federal government should focus its participate? investment in How should research funding? the research agenda be developed? Need to develop one. 99 Coordination How can the What is the and review of Federal government current Standards most effectively process? participate in the What setting of organizations appropriate should be standards for involved? libraries? Who should be? What are the appropriate standards areas? 12) p.99 Add following coordination and review of standards the library impact requirement during budget process for all agencies. 11) Transition issues for libraries and librarians. *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is an irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office, 110 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Washington, DC 20002-5675. Internet: alawash@alawash.org; Phone: 202-547-4440; Fax: 202-547-7363. Editor: Lee G. Enyart (lge@alawash.org). ALAWON is available free of charge and is available only in electronic form. To subscribe, send the message "subscribe ala-wo [your name]" to listserv@uicvm (Bitnet) or listserv@uicvm.uic.edu (Internet). Back issues and other documents are available from the list server. 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