ALCTS Network News v15n06 (February 25, 1998)
URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/ann/ann-v15n06.txt

ISSN: 1056-6694

ALCTS NETWORK NEWS

An electronic publication of the
Association for Library Collections & Technical Services

Volume 15, Number 6
February 25, 1998

In this issue

BYRUM NAMED RECIPIENT OF ALCTS MANN CITATION
ACTION ALERT: ALCTS BOARD URGES SUPPORT FOR DIGITAL COPYRIGHT
LEGISLATION

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BYRUM NAMED RECIPIENT OF ALCTS MANN CITATION

John D. Byrum, Chief, Regional and Cooperative Cataloging Division at
the Library of Congress, is the recipient of the 1998 Margaret Mann
Citation presented by the ALCTS Cataloging and Classification
Section.

The award, a citation and $2,000 donated by OCLC Online Computer
Library Center to the library school of the winner's choice,
recognizes outstanding professional achievement in cataloging or
classification either through publication of significant professional
literature, participation in professional cataloging associations, or
valuable contributions to practice in individual libraries.

"The Margaret Mann Committee is pleased to award the Citation to Mr.
Byrum for his sustained leadership in the continuing development of
cataloging standards, nationally and internationally," said Carlen
Ruschoff, chair of the Margaret Mann Citation Committee.
"Internationally, his notable contributions have been through his
work on the Joint Steering Committee for Revision of the
Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules; IFLA committees on various
international standard bibliographic descriptions (ISBDs); and other
IFLA/UBC committees.  Nationally, he has been deeply involved in
efforts toward bibliographic standardization through initiatives such
as the Name Authority Cooperative Program (NACO) and the Program for
Cooperative Cataloging (PCC)."

Byrum has received many other awards throughout his career. He won
the Emblem Club National Scholarship in 1958 and the Harvard College
Honorary Scholarship in 1960. He was inducted into Beta Phi Mu in
1967 for academic excellence. In 1975, he was awarded the ALCTS
Esther J. Piercy Award for his service and contributions to the
development of the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules in the dual role
of Chair of the ALA Catalog Code Revision Committee and
representative to the Joint Steering Committee. From the Library of
Congress, Byrum has earned service and achievement awards during his
tenure. These include: Award for Meritorious Service (1987), Award
for Superior Service (1991), and Awards for Special Achievements
(1996, 1997).

Byrum has a Masters in Library Science from Rutgers-The State
University, New Brunswick, N.J., graduating first in class and a
Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from Harvard College, Cambridge,
Massachusetts.

The award will be presented on June 29, at 9:30 a.m. at the ALCTS
Membership Meeting and the ALCTS President's Program during the ALA
Annual Conference, June 25-July 2, 1998 in Washington, D.C.

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ACTION ALERT: ALCTS BOARD URGES SUPPORT FOR DIGITAL COPYRIGHT
LEGISLATION

At the Midwinter Meeting in New Orleans the ALCTS Board endorsed a
motion from the ALCTS Legislation Committee to support an effort to
pass landmark legislation which would update the nation's copyright
laws for the digital age, including the Fair Use Doctrine. The Board
asked that ALCTS members contact their individual Representatives and
Senators to become cosponsors of these bills.

These watershed bills, endorsed by ALA Council, are S. 1146, Sen.
John Ashcroft's (R-MO), Digital Copyright Clarification and
Technology Act, and H.R. 3048, the Digital Era Copyright Enhancement
Act, introduced by Reps. Rick Boucher (D-VA) and Tom Campbell (R-CA).

The bills represent a positive approach to updating the Copyright Act
to meet the challenges of the digital environment while, at the same
time, preserving the critical balance between copyright owners and
users in the electronic age. It is crucial that all librarians,
educators, trustees, parents, and friends of libraries ask both of
their Senators to cosponsor S. 1146 and ask their member of the House
of Representatives to cosponsor H.R. 3048. Most members will not sign
on as the cosponsor of a bill unless a constituent requests it.

All ALA members, trustees and library supporters are urgently
requested to write or call your House and Senate delegations
specifically requesting "cosponsorship" (not merely "support") of
these bills.

The U.S. Capitol Switchboard phone number is 202-224-3121.

E-mail also can be effective. For a directory of Congressional e-mail
addresses, consult the Library of Congress web page at
http://lcweb.loc.gov/global/legislative/email.html

Your letter or communication might include these key points: 

I recently learned that bipartisan legislation has been introduced
(insert bill number and name of sponsor; see NOTE below) which would
broadly update copyright law for the future in a way that will both
protect the owners of information and continue to allow librarians
and educators access to information under reasonable circumstances. I
am writing to you today to ask that you lend your name  to that
legislation.

As a (librarian/library user/library trustee/friend of libraries), I
feel strongly that any changes made to the Copyright Act must be
balanced in a way that allows the benefits of the Internet to reach
all sectors of society, especially library users and students. This
bill will accomplish this very important goal in several important
ways. Please add your name to this bill as a cosponsor.

NOTE: Letters to Senators should refer only to: S. 1146, Sen. John
Ashcroft's (R-MO) Digital Copyright Clarification and Technology Act.
Letters to House members should refer only to: H.R. 3048, the Digital
Era Copyright Enhancement Act, introduced by Reps. Rick Boucher
(D-VA) and Tom Campbell (R-CA).

For detailed information about contacting your Senators and
Representatives and further background on this critical legislation,
please consult the ALA Washington Office website at
http://www.ala.org/washoff and the Digital Future Coalition's home
page at http://www.dfc.org.

ANOTHER LIBRARY ADVOCACY ALERT

Library supporters represented by any member of the full House
Judiciary Committee -- especially members of its Subcommittee on
Courts and Intellectual Property -- are asked to write, call or fax
their representatives as soon as possible regarding two bills
strongly opposed by the library community:

H.R. 2281, the WIPO Copyright Treaties Implementation Act -- a flawed
and incomplete proposal to protect the rights of some information
owners that would jeopardize the future of fair use and the public's
access to electronic
information); and

H.R. 2652, the Collection of Information Antipiracy Act -- a
dangerously over broad bill to provide sweeping new protection for
"databases" that threatens access to even public domain information).

These bills are scheduled to be considered by the Subcommittee on
February 26 and March 12. No such markup is scheduled for
WIPO-related bill -- H.R. 3048, the Digital Era Copyright Enhancement
Act sponsored by Reps. Rick Boucher (D-VA) and Tom Campbell (R-CA) and
supported by the library community. This bill would update the
nation's copyright laws in a way that fully protects fair use,
digital preservation, library lending, distance education, and access
to technology needed to engage in such activities. SEE ARTICLE ABOVE.

Key message points: it is premature for the Subcommittee on Courts
and Intellectual Property to vote on either HR 2652 or HR 2281;
additional hearings are needed on HR 2652 to determine whether the
protection it would provide is justified, and a first hearing is
needed on the library-friendly HR 3048; and members of the House
Judiciary Committee are encouraged to evaluate and cosponsor HR 3048.

For more information see www.arl.org/info/frn/copy/ hr2652sum.html.
Inquiries also may be directed to Adam Eisgrau, legislative counsel
for the ALA Washington Office: at 800/941-8478. E-mail:
ame@alwash.org

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