January 2016 43 C&RL News Nancy Gravatt is press officer of the ALA Washington Office, email: ngravatt@alawash.org W a s h i n g t o n H o t l i n eNancy Gravatt Net neutrality oral arguments held December 4 In what has become something of a familiar rut in the roadway, the Federal Communica- tions Commission (FCC) was back at the U.S. Appeals Court for the D.C. Circuit on Friday, December 4, to make its case once again on behalf of the Open Internet. The FCC will de- fend the order it approved in February, which ACRL, Association of Research Libraries (ARL), ALA, and a host of library and higher education organizations have advocated for, along with other network neutrality allies. Most recently, ACRL, ARL, ALA, and the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies took this advocacy to the court with an amicus brief in United States Telecom Association, et al., v. Federal Com- munications Commission and United States of America. Stay tuned for coming developments in this now prolonged saga. National Library Legislative Day 2016 registration begins Registration for National Library Legislative Day (NLLD) 2016 has opened. The event will be held in Washington, D.C., May 2–3, 2016, at the Liaison Hotel. NLLD takes place over two days. On Day 1, advocates from across the country gather to hear subject matter experts brief them on the important issues of the day—whether it is appropriations, privacy matters, or other critical library issues. That evening, all attendees are invited to a special reception on Capitol Hill. The first-day issue briefings are in preparation for Day 2, when attendees have the opportunity to visit with members of their state’s congressional delega- tion. The importance of academic and research libraries to the nation is a story that elected officials need to hear more about. Your voice is extremely important in helping to highlight the issues most dear to you. Additional details and promotional materials are available on the ALA website. As program and speaker details become available, you’ll find all of them posted on the ALA site. For more information or assis- tance of any kind, please contact Lisa Lindle at llindle@alawash.org or (202) 628-8140. ALA seeks nominations for 2016 James Madison awards ALA’s Washington Office is calling for nomi- nations for two awards to honor individuals or groups who have championed, protected, and promoted public access to government information and the public’s right to know. The James Madison Award, named in honor of President James Madison, was established in 1986 to celebrate an individual or group who has brought awareness to these issues at the national level. Madison is widely regarded as the Father of the Constitution and as the foremost advocate for openness in govern- ment. The Eileen Cooke Award honors an extraordinary leader who has built local grass- roots awareness of the importance of access to information. Cooke, former director of the ALA Washington Office, was a tireless advocate for the public’s right to know and a mentor to many librarians and trustees. Both awards are presented during Freedom of Information Day, an annual event on or near March 16, Madison’s birthday. Nominations should be submitted to the ALA Washington Office no later than January 18, 2016. Submissions should include a statement (maximum one page) about the nominee’s contribution to public access to government information, why it merits the award, and one seconding letter. Please include a brief biogra- phy and contact information for the nominee. Send email nominations to Jessica McGilvray, deputy director for the ALA Office of Govern- ment Relations, at jmcgilvray@alawash.org. Submissions can also be mailed to James Madison Award/Eileen Cooke Award, American Library Association, Washington Office, 1615 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20009-2520.