ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


176 / C &RL News

W a s f m t ß t m

y f o t ß m

Carol C. Henderson 
Deputy Director, ALA Washington Office

(202) 547-4440; (ALA0025)

Legislation to create a National Research and Education Network has been reintroduced 
by Sen. Albert Gore Jr. (D-TN), the chief sponsor of NREN bills in previous Congresses, and by 
Rep. George Brown Jr. (D-CA), the new Chairman o f the House Science, Space, and Technology 
Committee. The High-Performance Computing A ct o f 1991 was introduced as S. 272 on January 
24 by Sen. Gore with 18 cosponsors (Sens. Hollings, Kennedy, Pressler, Ford, Breaux,
Bingaman, Ross, Kerry, Kasten, Glenn, Jeffords, Kerrey, Reid, Durenberger, Hatfield, Kohl, 
Conrad, and Riegle). The companion bill, HR 656, was introduced on January 28 by Rep. Brown 
with four cosponsors (Reps. Valentine, Boehlert, Mineta, and Browder).

The bills, which represent only a starting point for further hearings and further 
development, are almost identical to S. 1067 as passed by the Senate last fall in a version which 
was not very satisfactory to the education and library communities.

Sen. Gore spoke about the NREN at the January 13 President’s Program at the ALA 
Midwinter Meeting in Chicago. He referred to this in his introductory remarks on S. 272 
(January 24, 1991, CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, pp. S 1198-203 for remarks and text):

“The library community has been at the forefront in using computer and networking 
technology in education. For years, they have had electronic card catalogs which allow students 
to track down books in seconds. Now they are developing electronic text systems which will 
store books in electronic form. When coupled to a national network like the NREN, such a 
digital library could be used by students and educators throughout the country, in underfunded 
urban schools and in isolated rural school districts, where good libraries are few and far between.

I recently spoke to the American Library Association Annual meeting in Chicago and 
heard many librarians describe how the NREN could transform their lives. They are excited 
about the new opportunities made possible by this technology.”

The ALA Council passed a Resolution on the National Research and Education Network 
(CD #40) on January 16 to reaffirm its support of the NREN and recommend elements to be 
incorporated in NREN legislation. The elements include eligibility of all types of libraries to link 
to the NREN as resource providers and as access points for users, and high-capacity network 
connections with all 50 states.

ALA has also joined with 20 other education, library and computing organizations and 
associations to identify objectives for NREN legislation, and to combine forces in 
communicating this to Congress. This Partnership for the NREN sent a joint letter on January 25 
to key congressional offices outlining a policy framework for the NREN.

The Administration’s budget for FY 1991 includes an increase of $149 million (to a total 
o f $638 million) for its high performance computing and communications initiative. These funds 
would be spread over eight federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation, and part 
o f these funds would help develop the NREN.