C&RL News April 2015 224 Jazzy Wright is press officer of the ALA Washington Office, email: jwright@alawash.org W a s h i n g t o n H o t l i n eJazzy Wright ALA applauds FCC vote to protect open Internet In late February, the Federal Communica- tions Commission (FCC) voted to assert the strongest possible open Internet protec- tions—banning paid prioritization and the blocking and throttling of lawful content and services. Though the FCC’s final net neutral- ity order language was not available at the time of this writing, statements from FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and fellow com- missioners outline several key provisions. The order reclassifies “broadband Inter- net access service”—including both fixed and mobile—as a telecommunications service under Title II; asserts “bright line” rules that ban blocking or throttling of legal content, applications, and services and paid prioritization of some Internet traffic over other traffic; enhances transparency rules regarding network management and prac- tices; and distinguishes between the public and private networks. ALA applauds legislation for increased Wi-Fi spectrum Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Cory Book- er (D-NJ) in February reintroduced the Wi-Fi Innovation Act (S.424), which would help ensure that our nation’s libraries and their communities have access to the spectrum needed to meet growing demands for wire- less access. The legislation would require the FCC to conduct a feasibility study on providing additional unlicensed spectrum in the upper 5Ghz spectrum band. Public libraries are the most common public Wi-Fi access point for African Ameri- cans and Latinos—with roughly one-third of these communities using public library Wi-Fi. This is true for 23 percent of whites, who list school as their top public Wi-Fi spot. Virtually all (98 percent) public librar- ies now offer Wi-Fi, up from 18 percent a decade ago. Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Represen- tatives by Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH), and cosponsored by Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA), Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA), Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D- CA), and Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA). Sens. Reed and Cochran introduce school library bill In January, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) joined Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran (R-MS) in introduc- ing the SKILLS Act (S.312). Key improvements to the program in- clude expanding professional development to include digital literacy, reading, and writ- ing instruction across all grade levels; focus- ing on coordination and shared planning time between teachers and librarians; and ensuring that books and materials are ap- propriate for students with special learning needs, including English learners. The leg- islation would expand federal investment in school libraries so they can continue to offer students the tools they need to develop the critical thinking, digital, and research skills necessary for success in the 21st century. The bipartisan SKILLS Act would fur- ther amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act by requiring state and school districts to address the development of effective school library programs to help students gain digital literacy skills, master the knowledge and skills in the challenging academic content standards adopted by the state, and graduate from high school ready for college and careers. Additionally, the legislation would broaden the focus of training, professional development, and recruitment activities to include school librarians. Upcoming ACRL e-Learning ACRL is offering a variety of online semi- nars and webcasts this winter. Upcoming topics include: Rethinking the Book Container: Advanc- ing the Role of the Library as Publisher (Webcast: January 21, 2015) Action Research to Bridge Academic Scholarship and Everyday Practice (Webcast: February 5, 2015) Virtual Reference 101 (Webcast: Febru- ary 19, 2015) Visit the ACRL e-Learning website at www.ala.org/acrl/onlinelearning for details.