ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 774/C&RL News W ith E le c tio n D ay o v e r, m any o f o u r longtim e library cham pions including Sena­ tors Paul Simon (D-IL), Mark H a tf i e ld (R -O R ), N a n c y K assebaum (R-KS), a n d Rep­ resentative Pat Williams (D- MT) are retiring from C on­ gress, so o u r tho u g h ts turn to n e w a n d returning library cham pions. Encourage Congress’ lib ra ry champions This relatively q u iet legisla­ tive tim e b efo re th e 105th C ongress convenes in Jan u ary 1997 is a g o o d o p p o rtu n ity to begin th e w o rk o f educating an d en co u rag in g library ch am p io n s. A cadem ic a n d college librarians have a special role to play in this process as library an d higher e d u catio n advocates learn m ore a b o u t the election w inners. B efore p a r­ ticular legislative initiatives a n d bills are intro­ d u c e d is the tim e to bring y o u r academ ic li­ b r a r y m e s s a g e to y o u r c o n g r e s s i o n a l representatives. W heth er directly from th e li­ brary o r th ro u g h joint cam p u sw id e efforts, in­ vite the successful candidates to visit y o u r li­ brary. Use su ch visits to d em o n strate library services a n d to p re s e n t som e o f th e special n e e d s o f academ ic libraries relating to intellec­ tu al p ro p e rty , g o v e rn m e n t inform ation, a n d o th e r library issues. Find o u t w h at colleges a n d universities yo u r senators an d congressional representatives have attended. T here m ay also b e alum ni from your cam pus th at are elected officials. T hese c o n ­ nections are a g o o d w ay to p resen t th e aca­ d em ic library m essage. C o p y rig h t issu es a re a n a re a in w h ic h th e v o ic e s o f lib ra ry u se rs, a n d th e A m erican p u b lic in g e n e ra l, n e e d to b e h e a rd th ro u g h a c a d e m ic libraries. C o n g ressio n al c h a m p io n s n e e d to u n d e r s ta n d th e p ro b le m s in v o lv e d w ith th e la te st in itiativ es in b o th th e d o m e s ­ tic a n d in te rn a tio n a l a re n a s re g a rd in g in te l­ le c tu a l p ro p e rty . ALA responds to “ Fair Use Guidelines for M ultim ed ia ” ALA a n d o th e r library associations will com ­ m unicate the resp o n ses of th e library com m u­ nity to the various fair u se guidelines bein g p ro ­ m ulgated as p art o f th e C on­ f e r e n c e o n F a ir U se (CONFU) process. T he im ­ p o rtan ce o f preserving the legitim ate fair u se rights o f the A m erican public is d em ­ o n strated th ro u g h library re­ s p o n s e s to th e “F air U se G uidelines for M ultim edia.” ALA an d o th er library asso­ c ia tio n s h a v e n o t s ig n e d o n to this draft a n d th e o ther g u id e lin e s b e c a u s e o f th e to o narro w interpretation o f fair use. T he ALA Executive B oard p a sse d a resolu­ tio n reg a rd in g th e “Fair U se G u id e lin e s for M ultim edia” o r an y o f th e g uidelines at its re­ c en t fall m eetin g in C hicago. T he resolution reads: M oved, th a t ALA n o t e n d o rs e c o p y rig h t guidelines w hich d o n o t fully p ro tect the p u b lic’s fair u se rights, th a t ALA include in­ form ation o n the interests an d n e e d s o f li­ brary u sers in th e CONFU final report, an d publicize w idely th e im portance o f fair use to th e A m erican public. ALA en co u rag es library advocates n o t to e n ­ d o rse an y version o f th e fair u se g uidelines at this tim e for several reasons. The rapidly chang­ ing n atu re o f technology im pacts th e n atu re of draft g u idelines. Som e ALA B oard m em b ers argu e th at th e technology is in such a state of flux th at this is n o t th e tim e to form alize g u id e ­ lines; a n d that g uidelines h av e a te n d e n c y to becom e the m axim um rather than the minimum. ALA leaders recognize th e n e e d for g uidance in th e field a n d urge library advocates to a d ­ d ress th a t n e e d in w ays o th e r th an specific guidelines. Several library associations are w orking to ­ g eth er o n th ese copyright issues a n d will d e ­ v elo p a joint statem en t o n the g uidelines that m ay b e u se d in various w ays, including m ak­ ing clear the im portance o f fair u se to th e m is­ sion o f libraries. In p u t from academ ic librar­ ians is strongly encouraged. Lynne E. Bradley is deputy executive director o f ALA ’s Washington Office; e-mail: leb@alawash.org. Washington Hotline Lynne E. B radley mailto:leb@alawash.org December 19 9 6 / 775 More information for library advocates To su p p o rt library advocates an d help them stay involved, the ALA W ashington Office is developing additional information for the ALA W eb site. A sum m ary o f the status o f all major library legislation (including intellectual p ro p ­ erty) at the e n d o f the 104th Congress is now available in the N ovem ber issue o f the new s­ letter called ALA Washington News at h ttp :// w w w .ala.org/w ashoff/alaw opub.htm l. Analysis o f election results as well as the latest informa­ tion o n such issues as intellectual property and the status o f the fair use guidelines will be re­ ported in ALAWON, the ALA W ashington Of­ fice Newsline, an d in the new sletter. Readers may redistribute material from these publica­ tions free o f charge for nonprofit purposes, with appropriate credit. To subscribe to ALAWON and receive notifications o f ALA Washington News online, send the message: subscribe ala- w o [ y o u r _ f ir s tn a m e ] [ y o u r _ la s t n a m e ] to listproc@ ala.org. For further information on these an d other legislative issues as w e prepare for the 105th Congress to convene in January, please con­ tact the ALA W ashington Office at (800) 941- 8478 o r contact Lynne Bradley at leb@alawash. org. ■ (Candidates cont. fro m page 740) WESS Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect: Stephen L ehm ann‚ H umanities Bibliographer, University o f Penn­ sylvania, Philadelphia; Barbara Walden, Bibli­ ographer, W estern E uropean Social Sciences, University of Minnesota. Secretary: Thomas Izbicki, Resource Services Librarian, Jo h n s H opkins University; Charles Spomik, Coordinator, Beck Center for Electronic Collections & Services, Emory University. Member-at-Large: Fred W. Jenkins‚ C oordina­ tor an d H ead o f Collection M anagem ent, Uni­ versity o f Dayton; Reinhart Sonnenburg, Litera­ ture and Languages Bibliographer, University o f California-San Diego. wss Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect: Kristin H. Gerhard, Catalog Librarian and Selector (W om en’s Stud­ ies), Iow a State University. Secretary: Bernice Redfem, Reference Librar­ ian/Social Science Selector, San Jose State Uni­ versity. Member-at-Large: Mary Faith Pankin, Senior Subject Specialist, G elm an Library, G eorge W ashington University; Daren Callahan, Spe­ cial Collections Cataloger, Morris Library, South­ ern Illinois University. ■ http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawopub.html mailto:listproc@ala.org