From: Michele McGinnis (mm@kk.org)
Date: Wed Dec 01 2004 - 09:58:19 PST
Message-Id: <a06110427bdd3a3cdd440@[192.168.0.2]> Date: Wed, 1 Dec 2004 09:58:19 -0800 From: Michele McGinnis <mm@kk.org> Subject: (SLA-SF) Public Policy News, December 1, 2004
Library stuff
Friends Seek Special Election to Save Salinas Public Library
The Friends of the Salinas Public Library, CA, will try to put
another tax measure on a special March ballot in hopes that a
successful passage will prevent the closure of the three-branch
system.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA483321?display=breakingNews
Government & Libraries
Byrd criticizes mine academy privatization
Sen. Robert C. Byrd on Tuesday criticized what he said
is a plan by the Bush administration to privatize part
of the federal mine safety training center in Raleigh
County. U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration officials
have been moving to outsource the mining industry
library at the federal Mine Health and Safety Academy
outside Beckley. (free registration at site)
http://www.wvgazette.com/section/News/Business/2004112334
Homeland Security to create thousands of IT jobs in next 5 yrs.
The jobs Warner is to announce today, most of them in information
technology, will be new to the Washington area
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55655-2004Nov16.html?referrer=email
National Digital Newspaper Program
NEH recently solicited proposals from institutions to participate in
the development of a test bed for the National Digital Newspaper
Program (NDNP). Ultimately, over a period of approximately 20 years,
NDNP will create a national, digital resource of historically
significant newspapers from all the states and U.S. territories
published between 1836 and 1922.
http://www.neh.gov/projects/ndnp.html
National Library Funding Increases, But Less Than Goal
Congressional funding for library programs for FY05, which began in
October, will be $207,760,000, an increase of $9.5 million over FY04,
but that was $12.7M below the president's request and $15.8M less
than what the Senate approved.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA483329?display=breakingNews
Orwellian
Security officials to spy on chat rooms
The CIA is quietly funding federal research into surveillance of
Internet chat rooms as part of an effort to identify possible
terrorists, newly released documents reveal.
http://news.com.com/2100-7348_3-5466140.html
Organization of American Historians Committee on Academic Freedom
At its March 2004 convention, the OAH established an ad hoc Committee
on Academic Freedom. The mandate of the committee was to "investigate
reports of repressive measures having an impact on historians'
teaching, research, employment, and freedom of expression."
http://www.oah.org/pubs/nl/2004nov/montgomery.html?emtm1104f
Privacy Advocates Promise to Fight Electronic Tags in Library Books
A plan to put radio frequency identification (RFID) tags into San
Francisco public library books has drawn sharp criticism on grounds
ranging from privacy for library patrons to the health and safety of
library workers.
http://www.kpix.com/news/local/2004/11/28/Privacy_Advocates_Promise_to_Fight_Electronic_Tags_in_Library_Books.html
Web Won't Let Government Hide
Given the government keeps tabs on the world using armies of agents,
algorithms and wiretaps, how can a citizen compete? Try a browser.
Governments at every level these days are providing less information
about their inner workings, sometimes using fear of terrorism as an
excuse. But it's precisely times like these that mandate citizens'
rights to check the efficiency of their government and hold those who
fail accountable, open government advocates say. The government
itself won't make it easy, so an increasing number of websites and
data crunchers are stepping in to provide information about the inner
workings of government.
http://wired.com/news/privacy/0%2C1848%2C65800%2C00.html?tw=wn_tophead_3
Veto Battle 30 Years Ago Set Freedom of Information Norms
President Gerald R. Ford wanted to sign the Freedom of Information
Act strengthening amendments passed by Congress 30 years ago, but
concern about leaks (shared by his chief of staff Donald Rumsfeld and
deputy Richard Cheney) and legal arguments that the bill was
unconstitutional (marshaled by government lawyer Antonin Scalia,
among others) persuaded Ford to veto the bill, according to
declassified documents posted today by the Nation Security Archive to
mark the 30th anniversary of the veto override.
http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB142/
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Removes Data From Public Access
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) intends to
remove its Flight Information Publications (FLIP), Digital Aeronautical
Flight Information File (DAFIF), and related aeronautical safety of
navigation digital and hardcopy publications from public sale and
distribution. This action is taken to accomplish the following objectives:
safeguarding the integrity of Department of Defense (DoD) aeronautical
navigation data currently available on the public Internet; preventing
unfettered access to air facility data by those intending harm to the
United States, its interests or allies; upholding terms of bi-lateral
geospatial data-sharing agreements; avoiding competition with
commercial interests; and avoiding intellectual property/copyright
disputes with foreign agencies that provide host-nation aeronautical
data.
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/04-25631.htm
Information Commons
Internet Archive Loses in Copyright Lawsuit
A lawsuit brought by a group of Internet archivists against recent
congressional actions expanding copyright protections has been
dismissed by a federal judge.
http://news.com.com/2100-1030_3-5466329.html
Battling the Copyright Big Boys
Now, a group of citizens in favor of a more consumer-friendly
copyright policy have formed a political action committee in hopes
that the interests of the public can be served, too.
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,65651,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1
Open Access
With Comment Period Closed, Will NIH Proposal Land in Court?
Congress last week again expressed its support for the proposal by
the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to make the research it funds
freely available via PubMed Central.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA483324?display=breakingNews
Take Action!
$15 education on libraries and copyright in San Francisco on Dec. 8 (NOCALL)
http://blog.librarylaw.com/librarylaw/2004/11/15_education_on.html
More Renowned Authors Call on Quebecor World To End Harassment,
Respect Workers' Rights
Today two dozen prominent authors called on Quebecor World, Inc.
(TSX; NYSE: IQW) to end its campaign of intimidation and fear and to
respect the rights of workers who print their books, articles, and
essays. The authors, including Barbara Ehrenreich, Gloria Steinem,
Barbara Kingsolver, Ben Bagdikian, Judy Rebick, Marilyn French, and
many other best-selling and award-winning authors, signed the
"Writers' Call for Justice at Quebecor World."
http://www.justiceatquebecor.org/index.shtml
**Copyleft: Please feel free to pass along in part or in its
entirety, giving credit or not. MM**
-- Michele McGinnis, MSIS Research Librarian to Kevin Kelly149 Amapola Pacifica, CA 94044 650-355-7676 650-359-9701 fax
mm@kk.org www.kk.org
"They are subversive. You think they're just sitting there at the desk, all quiet and everything. They're like plotting the revolution, man." --Michael Moore on librarians
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -- Margaret Mead
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