BACKGROUND:
ALA is sponsoring its annual National Library Legislative Day here in DC
on May 3rd-4th. Its Government Documents Round Table (GODORT) has put
together some materials and talking points to help communicate with
members of Congress about the importance of the Federal Depository
Library Program (FDLP) and the continuing need for print distribution as
GPO moves to complete its transition to a more electronic program.
GODORT is also requesting that those of us unable to attend National
Library Legislative Day contact our elected representatives this week.
GODORT's Legislative Day materials are at:
> http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/GODORT/legislation/legday/legday05.html
Over 200 federal depository libraries are located in law schools,
courts, and public law libraries. Skilled law librarians assist users
every day in locating materials essential to meet their legal research
needs. Law librarians played an important role this winter in contacting
members of Congress to oppose GPO's plans, announced in mid-January, to
limit the production and distribution of tangible materials to
depository libraries to only the 50 titles on the Essential Titles List
beginning in October 2005. As a result of this successful grassroots
effort, GPO announced on March 1st that it would continue to provide for
dissemination of tangible products to depository libraries in accordance
with existing policy through the end of FY 2006.
ACTION NEEDED:
Please join your ALA/GODORT colleagues and send an email message to
members of your congressional delegation this week asking for continued
support for the FDLP. This provides a timely opportunity to communicate
the need for continued print distribution of key legal materials to
depository libraries. A massive influx of emails this week will send a
signal to Congress that the law library community has a strong
commitment to the FDLP and no-fee permanent public access to government
information.
Use the talking points below but also include "stories" of how your
library helps their constituents locate and use government and legal
information.
1. The Federal Depository Library Program established by Congress more
than 150 years ago has proven to be a tremendously successful
partnership among Congress, federal agencies, the courts, the GPO,
depository libraries and the American public in ensuring the public's
right to know. The depository libraries in your state/congressional
district guarantee that your constituents have no-fee access to
government information and the assistance of skilled and knowledgeable
librarians to help them find the government and legal information they
need.
2. Law librarians have long supported GPO's transition to a more
electronic program. However, we also believe that GPO should not
completely eliminate print because there is no reliable system in place
to ensure the authentication, version control, permanent public access
to and preservation of electronic government information. Today print is
the only authenticated version of critical official government legal
information. In February, the AALL Executive Board endorsed a
"Resolution Opposing GPO's Plan to Eliminate Important Titles in Print
Prior to Establishing a Reliable Electronic System," available at:
http://www.ll.georgetown.edu/aallwash/re021605.html.
3. Tell your own "stories" about helping their constituents locate and
use legal government information resources disseminated through the
FDLP. Remind them that the FDLP is THEIR program that provides THEIR
constituents with local access to government information.
4. Urge your representatives to support the GPO's FY 2006 budget
request, including $33.8 million for the Salaries and Expenses (S&E)
Appropriation of the Superintendent of Documents that supports the FDLP.
Urge also that GPO continue to use this appropriations to produce and
distribute important tangible products to depository libraries. Today
only print and microfiche are the trusted and authenticated formats for
permanent access to and preservation of legal government information.
5) Last but not least, urge your senators to contact Sen. Trent Lott
(R-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Administration, and your
House representative to contact Rep. Bob Ney (R-18-OH), Chairman of the
Committee on House Administration, requesting that they hold an
oversight hearing on GPO's strategic vision for the 21st Century and the
many new initiatives outlined in this plan. The FDLP is Congress's
program, and these initiatives and their impact on the FDLP and users of
depository libraries should be reviewed by the authorizing committees
before their implementation.
You can quickly locate your members' email forms through the Online
Directory for the 109th Congress at:
> http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/
>
Thank you very much,
Mary Alice
==============================
Mary Alice Baish
Associate Washington Affairs Representative
American Association of Law Libraries
E.B. Williams Law Library
Georgetown University Law Center
111 G Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001-1417
PH: 202-662-9200
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