nov13_b.indd


November 2013 539 C&RL News

Jazzy Wright is press officer of the ALA Washington 
Office, e-mail: jwright@alawash.org

W a s h i n g t o n  H o t l i n eJazzy Wright

Library services impacted by 
government shutdown
It actually happened: In October, the U.S. 
federal government shut down after Congress 
failed to compromise on a continuing resolu-
tion to fund the government. The shutdown 
had noticeable impact on library services 
across the country: the Institute of Museum 
and Library Services closed and was unable 
to disperse grants and funds to libraries as 
part of the Library Services and Technology 
Act. Additionally, the Government Printing 
Office and U.S. Census Web sites and col-
lection surveys were unavailable until the 
government reopened. Finally, the Library 
of Congress was closed to the public and 
researchers for the duration of the shutdown. 
As of this writing, the shutdown is ongoing—
ALA will continue to monitor federal budget 
developments.

ALA leads libraries on e-rate reform
This summer, President Obama announced 
the ConnectED initiative, which aims to 
connect America’s students to high-capacity 
broadband and high-speed wireless. In Sep-
tember, ALA asked the FCC to accelerate 
deployment of the high-capacity broadband 
needed to serve students and learners of 
all ages through our nation’s libraries and 
schools. ALA calls for new e-rate funding to 
jumpstart and sustain high-capacity broad-
band connections that support digital learn-
ing and economic development through 
libraries and schools. ALA leadership dis-
cussed e-rate in October at the Schools, 
Libraries and Health Broadband Coalition 
meeting in Washington, D.C. 

ALA submits comments to the FCC 
opposing the e-reader accessibility 
exemption
ALA’s Office for Information Technology 

Policy submitted comments to the FCC in 
response to a petition from the E-reader 
Coalition Petition of Class Waiver of Com-
mission’s rules for Access to Advanced 
Communications and Services (ACS) for 
People with Disabilities. 

The E-reader Coalition—Amazon, Sony, 
and Kobo—assert that their e-readers were 
manufactured for the sole purpose of 
reading text, therefore they should not be 
required to comply with FCC regulations 
that e-readers be accessible. The E-reader 
Coalition suggests that e-readers are a dif-
ferent class of product. ALA argues that 
the E-reader Coalition exemption would 
be discriminatory.

Owners rights’ initiative
ALA continues to be an active member of 
the Owners Rights’ Initiative (ORI). ORI is 
a coalition of businesses and organizations 
that formed to protect ownership rights and 
the first sale doctrine in response to the 
Kirtsaeng v. Wiley case. Even with Supreme 
Court Kirtsaeng victory, ORI continues to 
make Hill visits to ensure that first sale, 
which enables libraries to lend, is protected 
in any reform to the Copyright Act. The 
House Judiciary Committee is currently 
holding hearings on copyright reform in 
what is expected to be a multiyear effort.

OGR welcomes the new public 
printer of the United States
Jessica McGilvray was glad to represent 
the Office of Government Relations at the 
swearing in ceremony of Davita Vance-
Cooks on August 21. Vance-Cooks is the 
27th Public Printer of the United States 
Government Printing Office (GPO) and 
the first woman to serve in this position. 
She was confirmed unanimously by the 
Senate on August 2 and was sworn in later 
that month. ALA looks forward to working 
with the GPO and the Public Printer in the 
coming years.