ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 22 / C& RL News Using White House Conference recommendations By Patricia A. Wand Chair, A C R L Task Force o n W H C L IS a n d U niversity Librarian The A m e rica n U niversity and Lynn Scott Cochrane W H C L IS D elegate, Virginia a n d R eference L ibrarian Virginia Polytechnic In stitu te a n d State U niversity J u st w h e n I th o u g h t th e m o m e n tu m o f th e W h ite H ouse C onference w as subsiding, I learned o f tw o specific even ts th a t co n vin ced m e otherw ise. The f i r s t e ve n t w as a Public R o u n dtable spo n so red b y H ilda M ason, councilw om an f o r th e D istrict o f C olum bia a n d c h a ir o f the C om m ittee on E ducation a n d Libraries. O n N o ve m b e r 18, 1991, in the C ity C ouncil cham ber, M ason b ro u g h t to g eth er in terested citi­ zen s w h o spoke in fa v o r o f specific agenda item s th a t em erg ed f r o m th e M a y o r s P re-W hite H ouse C on­ fe re n c e on L ib ra ry a n d In fo rm a tio n Services. W it­ nesses w ere g ro u p ed b y interests su ch as p u b lic library issues, academ ic library concerns, p reserva­ tio n priorities, etc. F o u r academ ic librarians spoke, o ffering the p e r ­ spectives o f p u b lic a n d p r iv a te in stitu tio n s as w ell as th e needs in b o th th e D istrict o f C olum bia a n d the nation. The librarians w ere A lb ert Casciero, direc­ tor, a n d Jo h n Page, d e p u ty d irec to r o f th e Learning Resource C enter, U niversity o f th e D istrict o f Co­ lum bia; a n d George A rn o ld , u n iv e rsity a rchivist a n d head, special collections, a n d Patricia W and, u n iv e rsity librarian, th e A m erica n University. T hey w ere asked to cite a n d discuss specific recom m enda­ tio n s th a t n eed a tte n tio n b y local a n d national governm ents. The seco n d e ve n t th a t r em in d e d m e o f th e signifi­ cance a n d m o m e n tu m o f th e W h ite H ouse C onfer­ ence is reco u n ted below b y L y n n S co tt Cochrane: R ecen tly I h a d a c h an ce to tak e m y ow n advice, w hich a p p e a re d in last m o n th ’s C & R L N ew s (D e ­ c e m b e r 1991) a n d utilize th e W h ite H o u se C o n fe r­ e n ce reco m m en d atio n s in q u ite a u n iq u e forum . T h ro u g h th e good auspices o f a frien d , I a tte n d e d th e F irst A m e n d m e n t C o n g ress in R ichm ond, V ir­ ginia. L ittle d id I realize th a t I w o u ld p u t to u se so soon th e reco m m en d atio n s from th e W h ite H ouse C o n fe re n ce o n L ib rary a n d In fo rm atio n Services (W H C L IS II). T h e F irst A m e n d m e n t C ongress was fo u n d e d in 1979 to fo ste r a n d sp o n so r u n iq u e program s, called “co n gresses,” w h e re citizens exam ine critical issues affecting free d o m o f religion, sp eech , press, p e ti­ tion, a n d assem bly. M any g roups su p p o rt th e w ork o f th e congress th ro u g h associate m em b ersh ip , an d ALA is o n e su ch g roup. R esolutions fro m th e co n ­ gresses a re w idely d isse m in a te d to decision m akers in go v ern m en t, business, m edia, a n d e d ucation. T h e 1991 F irst A m e n d m e n t C ongress conv en ed a t th e Virginia S tate C apitol B uilding on Sunday O c to b e r 2 7 ,1 9 9 1 , in th e v ery room s w h e re th e Bill o f R ights was ad o p te d in D e c e m b e r 1791. M ost speakers also serv ed as facilitators for to p ic group sessions, w h e re resolutions w ere w ritten . T h e c o n fe re n ce a ttra c te d several h u n d re d p a r­ ticip an ts, m any o f th e m jo u rn alists a n d lawyers. L ib rarian s n u m b e re d four, all from Virginia and re p re s e n tin g th e Virginia L ib rary Association and ALA. In c lu d e d am ong a tte n d ee s w e re re tire d C h ie f Ju stice o f th e U n ite d States S u p rem e C o u rt, W ar­ re n E . B urger; R o b ert O ’N eil, d ire c to r o f th e T h o ­ m as Jefferso n C e n te r for th e P ro tec tio n o f F re e E xpression a n d fo rm er p re s id e n t o f th e U niversity o f V irginia; H o d d in g C a r te r I I I , p re s id e n t o f M ain S tre e t a n d fo rm er assistant sec re ta ry o f state fo r p u b lic affairs; Suzanne Schafer, m ilitary affairs co rre sp o n d en t fo r th e A ssociated Press; a n d others. January 1992 / 25 FIN A L FU N D IN G LEVELS FO R FISCAL YEAR 1992 PR O G R A M FY 91 FU N D IN G FY 92 FU N D IN G G PO SuDocs $25,745,000 $26,327,000 H E A II-B lib. training 651,000 5,000,000 II-B lib. research 325,000 325,000 II-C research libraries 5,855 ,0 0 0 5,855,000 II-D college lib. tech. 3,904,000 6,404,000 IV -C college w ork study 594,681,000 615,000,000 VI international educ. 2 8,669,000 34,000,000 V I-A , Sec. 607 foreign jrls. 0 500,000 Library o f Congress 305,071,000 322,228,000 LSCA I public library services 83,898,000 83,898,000 II pub. lib. construction 19,218,000 16,718,000 III interlibrary cooperation 19,908,000 19,908,000 V for. lang, m trls. pub. libs. 976,000 976,000 V I library literacy 8,163,000 8,163,000 N ational A gricultural Library 16,798,000 17,715,000 N ational A rchives 126,969,000 146,143,000 Natl. Ctr. for Educ. Statistics 6 3,524,000 7 7,213,000 N CLIS 732,000 831,000 Natl. E ndow m ent for H um anities 170,005,000 175,955,000 Natl. H istorical Pubs. & R ecords Com. 5,250,000 5,400,000 N ational Library o f M edicine & M L A A 91,408,000 100,303,000 Postal revenue forgone subsidy 4 7 2 ,592,000 4 7 0 ,000,000 (W H C L IS cord. fr o m page 22) W hen I attended the first group m eeting on “Access to G overnm ent Inform ation in th e E lec­ tronic Age,” I took along a copy o f the W H C L ISII recom m endations. It tu rn e d o u t that th e m em ­ bers w ere thrilled to have language already w ritten upon which w e could draw for resolutions. In p a rtic u la r, W H C L IS II R eco m m en d atio n No: ACC04-1, which calls for Congress to am end the Freedom o f Inform ation Act, was used as a proto­ type for one o f th e F irst A m endm ent Congress resolutions. T he resolution on am ending th e F reedom of Inform ation Act calls for a national conference to draft strategies for addressing th e complex pro b ­ lems o f electronic access to governm ent inform a­ tion at all levels. Library associations, including ALA, will b e invited to participate in the national conference, and th e W H C L ISII recom m endations will undoubtedly b e useful once again. O th e r W H C L ISII recom m endations th at w ere useful in o u r discussions include those regarding open access to governm ent inform ation regardless o f form at (N IP03-1) and inappropriate classifica­ tion o f public inform ation (NIP03-4). I was somewhat surprised by the praise heaped on librarians by almost everyone I m et. T he lawyers and journalists voiced sincere appreciation for the resources and services they find in libraries, as well as for th e librarians they encounter. I h eard many com m ents about w hat great lobbyists librarians are, and how w e can get th e ear o f politicians w hen others cannot. I t seems librarians have a reputation for being politically neutral and prim arily con­ cern ed w ith the public interest and ethical issues such as unrestricted access to public information, privacy protection for library users, fundam ental principles o f th e F reedom o f Inform ation Act, and intellectual freedom. O ne law professor from the University o f Florida said som e o f his profession’s causes would have b een lost over the past four years if it had n o t been for th e support o f librarians. I hope o th e r ALA and ACRL m em bers will find similar opportunities to utilize W H C L ISII recom ­ m endations. Only through prom oting th e recom ­ m endations and m aintaining the netw ork o f those interested in public policy as it relates to library issues can the work o f W H C L ISII continue to be effective. ■ ■ 22 25