ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


October 1989/815

Washington 
Hotline

Carol C. Henderson (202) 547-4440; (ALA0025)
Deputy Director, ALA Washington Office

HEA Reauthorization. Secretary of Education Lauro Cavazos announced on September 
19 that the Administration intends to be actively involved in the upcoming process of renewing 
the Higher Education Act. In response to a question, Department officials indicated the HEA title 
II library programs would be looked at afresh in this process, despite the fact that they are 
subsumed in the Administration’s proposed Library Services Improvement Act.

The Department of Education will hold a series of public hearings to solicit input and 
identify issues relating to HEA in Boston on October 10-11, Atlanta on October 17-18, Salt Lake 
City on October 24-25, Kansas City, Missouri, on October 31 and November 1, Dallas on 
November 7-8, San Francisco on November 14-15, and Washington, D. C., on November 20-21. 
Further details were to be announced in a notice in the Federal Register to be published 
approximately September 21-25. College and research librarians and library educators in hearing 
locations are encouraged to testify on the importance of HEA II library programs. Contact the 
ALA Washington Office if you are testifying or need further information.

WHCLIS. A second White House Conference on Library and Information Services is now 
a reality with at least partial federal funding in hand and a date and place set. The WHCLIS will 
be held in the Washington, D.C. Convention Center from Tuesday, July 9, through Saturday,
July 13, 1991. Congress provided $1,750,000 in a supplemental funding bill, and $3,250,000 in 
additional funding is pending in a Senate funding bill (still to be reconciled with a House 
measure containing no WHC funds, however).

Congressional education committee leaders have made it clear that they are looking to the 
WHCLIS for policy guidance on any major revision of federal library legislation. The purpose of 
the conference is to develop recommendations for the further improvement of the library and 
information services of the nation and their use by the public. Participants are to include library 
and information professionals, active library and information supporters, government officials, 
and the general public. Suggested themes are library and information services for productivity, 
for literacy, and for democracy.

A number of other organizations have expressed interest in the WHCLIS as a way to 
highlight the changes technology is making in the dissemination of and access to information. 
For instance, EDUCOM is actively participating with the Library of Congress Network Advisory 
Committee in the planning for a preconference on networking.

It is important that all types of libraries be represented in the development of WHC issues, 
in the preparation of short position papers on key topics, and in WHCLIS deliberations. The 
most direct way for ACRL members to participate is through the preconferences or other pre- 
WHCLIS activities in each state. Contact the state library agency for information on plans in 
your state. Further information on the White House Conference is available from WHCLIS, 1111 
18th St., N.W., Suite 302, Washington, DC 20036; (202) 254-5100.