PUBLIC POLICY AND ADVOCACY UPDATES
--> ALA Hiring for a Deputy Director, Broadband & Digital Inclusion based in Washington, D.C. Join us! Spread the word.
https://recruiting.ultipro.com/AME1043ALA/JobBoard/dfe6e811-9bc3-4dec-9055-a545370be9fa/OpportunityDetail?opportunityId=cdaefa68-d689-40bf-bafd-4b44f8401b4b
--> Upcoming at the PLA Conference in Portland, Oregon
Session on Library Digital Books, Wednesday, 11:30 am (with Alan Inouye)
Session on Libraries Build Business, Wednesday, 11:30 am (with Megan Janicki)
https://www.placonference.org/programs.cfm
AND Libraries Build Business cocktail reception on Wednesday early evening. Contact Emily Durkin for details, edurkin@alawash.org.
Intellectual Freedom Forum, Thursday, noon to 4pm (with Megan Cusick, Deborah Caldwell-Stone)
https://www.placonference.org/if_forum.cfm
--> Upcoming at the Computers in Libraries Conference: Library digital books with Michael Blackwell and Alan Inouye, March 30
https://twitter.com/LibraryPolicy/status/1502332272539623428
--> Registration is now open for the 2022 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition! We're so excited to meet in person in Washington, D.C., June 23-28, 2022.
https://2022.alaannual.org/
CASE Act good news from the US Copyright Office: "A library's or archives' preemptive opt-out election extends to the acts of its employees acting within the scope of their employment." ALA & others advocated for this change.
https://www.copyright.gov/newsnet/2022/950.html
ALA joins the State E-rate Coordinators' Alliance (SECA) and other organizations to request an extension of time to submit comments to the FCC on Docket 21-455 (on the proposal for an E-rate bidding portal).
https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/1030406514110/Motion%20for%20Extension%20of%20Time.pdf
One instance of our targeted meetings with Congressional offices on appropriations during March 1-2
https://twitter.com/mcnamee_briana/status/1498759065115185158
Megan Cusick presented at the Nebraska Legislative Advocacy Day
https://twitter.com/enimsakont/status/1499438706196946946
American Libraries magazine: "The 411 on Funding: Making sense of policy and funding options to fill digital equity gaps." With quotes from Dep Dir Larra Clark, Sr. Fellow Bob Bocher, adviser John Windhausen, and Alan Inouye.
https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2022/03/01/the-411-on-funding/
"In 'The Battle for the Soul of the Library,' Stanley Kurtz claims that library titles and materials support political agendas. This could not be further from the truth." ALA President Patty Wong's letter to the editor
https://twitter.com/ALALibrary/status/1500925506266484736
ALA President-elect Lessa Kananiʻopua Pelayo-Lozada visits and consults with the Public Policy and Advocacy Office in D.C. for two days.
https://twitter.com/AlanSInouye/status/1501938553764278274
Statement of the Maryland Library Association on the Federal District Court ruling on Maryland's library digital book law
https://www.mdlib.org/files/MLA%20eBook%20Ruling%20Statement_February%202022.pdf
Two DC events in a week--Covid-19 milestone for me. "Value of Unlicensed Spectrum" by the WifiForward Coalition at the CTA Innovation House--following on the State of the Net Internet Policy conference.
https://twitter.com/AlanSInouye/status/1499692703134666753
https://twitter.com/AlanSInouye/status/1498310182295818249
NEWS, ARTICLES, RESOURCES
R.I. hearing on library digital book bill in February. AAP testimony and Q & A begins at the 37 min mark. Interesting. Legislator response includes 'insulting' in reference to AAP remarks.
https://twitter.com/AlanSInouye/status/1500789074097020929
"Hwang Seeks To Assist Libraries With E-Book Costs" in The Newtown Bee. The hearing recording is at https://youtube.com/watch?v=ElMPMFVjo2k. Most interesting (!!) part is the AAP witness beginning at 5:34:20, especially the questioning by Sen. Hwang.
https://twitter.com/AlanSInouye/status/1498985618071765000
Colorful Mike Masnick on the Maryland court decision on Maryland's library digital book law
https://www.techdirt.com/2022/03/03/unfortunate-not-surprising-court-blocks-marylands-library-ebook-law/
FCC extended the application window for new tribal library applicants for the E-rate program. These applicants have another couple of months plus!
https://www.fcc.gov/document/wcb-waives-fy2022-e-rate-application-deadline-new-tribal-libraries
NPR: "Ukraine's libraries are offering bomb shelters, camouflage classes and, yes, books"
https://www.npr.org/2022/03/09/1085220209/ukraine-libraries-bomb-shelters
Reading list on the Ukraine crisis created by the staff of the Barrie (Ontario, Canada) Public Library.
https://twitter.com/AlanSInouye/status/1499184823876964354
Volunteers Unite to Archive Ukrainian Cultural Heritage
https://www.sucho.org/press-release-20220308-volunteers-unite
Alan S. Inouye, Ph.D.
Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Relations
American Library Association
1615 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20009
Office 202-403-8218 ▪ Mobile 202-276-6738 ▪ ainouye@alawash.org
Follow Me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlanSInouye