Alan Inouye's Policy and Advocacy Update, 8/15/20
/Thank you to Mr. Inouye, ALA Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Relations, for keeping up with library news:
Library Supporters Urge Action as Senate Recesses Without Relief Bill: With Congress now on break until September, ALA officials are urging library supporters to keep pressing lawmakers for a pandemic relief package that includes funding for libraries. Andrew Albanese in Publishers Weekly
Senator Reed advocating for library stabilization funding from the floor of the U.S. Senate
https://twitter.com/ALALibrary/status/1291114847439138822
ALA submits letter to the FCC to request extension of the gift rule waiver for the E-rate program and affirm need for more robust broadband that extends beyond library buildings
https://twitter.com/AlanSInouye/status/1294574197923028992
Sens. Manchin and Cornyn introduce broadband bill that includes libraries: ACCESS the Internet Act. ALA engaged and endorsed.
https://twitter.com/ALALibrary/status/1291834754409562113
https://twitter.com/Sen_JoeManchin/status/1291494428704636929
ALA joins The Census Project and other public interest groups in letter to Congress call for restoration of the Oct 31 deadline for census data collection instead of the recently pulled in date of Sept 30 by the Trump Administration.
https://twitter.com/LibraryPolicy/status/1291433580355354624
Federal judiciary is overcharging for access to public records online, court says. ALA was engaged on this case.
https://twitter.com/LibraryPolicy/status/1291475628525604868
https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1291449710415405056
From the ALA Holding Space Tour: Great engagement with elected officials. https://twitter.com/AlanSInouye/status/1293476763809525760 Here are just a few examples:
Rep. Ed Case: https://twitter.com/AlanSInouye/status/1293476763809525760
Rep. Ben Ray Lujan: https://twitter.com/IndianCountry/status/1291148086429925376
Rep. Tom Cole: https://twitter.com/AlanSInouye/status/1290349865688498181
Volunteer to serve on an ALA Committee. Applications due by September 30
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/committees/volunteer/frm_vol
NEWS & ARTICLES
National League of Cities: Cities and Libraries Partner to Achieve a Complete Census Count – How We’re Doing it in Kansas City
https://twitter.com/leagueofcities/status/1293653623537315847/photo/1
Library of Congress to host public forum on congress.gov on September 10
https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2020/08/announcing-a-congress-gov-virtual-public-forum-on-september-10th/
Denver Public Library--can't go into the building for computer lab, so bring the computer lab outside
https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/08/05/denver-library-laptops-coronavirus
Recognizing important work at the Library of Congress. H.Res.1070 - "Commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Veterans History Project of the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress"
https://twitter.com/AlanSInouye/status/1290973662464610304
WSJ: Everyone Is a Live-Streamer in Covid-19 Era. "Middle-school librarian Lizz Simpson began live-streaming on Twitch about her passion for books, poetry and art in June."
https://twitter.com/AlanSInouye/status/1294246731505377280
https://www.wsj.com/articles/everyone-is-a-live-streamer-in-covid-19-era-11596965400