The 108th Congress (2003-2004)

LETTERS

Public interest groups call for "Cheney Log"to balance access, confidentiality concerns [Press Release]
November 29, 2004

Members of Congress
Implementation of Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Report [PDF]
October 4, 2004

Four major U.S. library associations today endorsed the Geneva Declaration on the Future of the World Intellectual Property Organization [Press Release] [PDF]
September 27, 2004

Geneva Declaration on the Future of the
World Intellectual Property Organization [Declaration]

AALL Comments to the Institute of Museum and Library Services
on Impact of Museum and Library Services Analysis [PDF]
September 20, 2004

Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni, Director, National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Support of Proposal to Provide Public Access to NIH-funded Manuscripts through PubMed Central [PDF]
August 31, 2004

AALL Participates in New Alliance for Taxpayer Access (www.taxpayeraccess.org)
to Make Publicly Funded Biomedical Research Accessible to the Public [PDF]
August 24, 2004

Joint Library Letter to Public Printer Bruce James
in Support of GPO's Proposed Collection of Last Resort [PDF]
August 24, 2004

The Honorable Bill Frist, The Honorable Tom Daschle, The Honorable Orrin G. Hatch and The Honorable Patrick J. Leahy
Support for Draft Alternative to S. 2560, the Induce Act
August 24, 2004

The Honorable Orrin G. Hatch Chairman, United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
S. 2560, the "Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act of 2004"
July 6, 2004

Library and Archives Associations Support the National Geographic Society In New York Court in Support of Public Access [Press Release]
June 28, 2004

Joint library press release in support of H.R. 107, the Digital Media Consumers' Rights Act, for press conference unveiling new Personal Technology Freedom Coalition in House Rayburn Office Building
June 22, 2004

The Honorable Porter J. Goss and the Honorable James Sensenbrenner, Jr.
Opposition to H.R. 3179, the Anti-Terrorism Intelligence Tools Improvement Act of 2003 [PDF]
June 15, 2004

Joint library letter to the Honorable Jack Kingston, chair of House Subcommittee on Legislative, Committee on Appropriations,
in support of FY 2005 budget request of the Government Printing Office
May 27, 2004

Joint library letter to the Honorable Jack Kingston, chair of House Subcommittee on Legislative, Committee on Appropriations,
in support of FY 2005 budget request of the Library of Congress [PDF]
May 25, 2004

Senator Lorraine L. Berry, Chair, Committee on Public Safety, Judiciary, Homeland Security & Justice, U.S. Virgin Islands
Opposition to the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA)
May 18, 2004

Memorandum to the Science and Technology Committee, United Kingdom Parliament
Inquiry on Scientific Publications [PDF]
February 9, 2004

The Honorable F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. and The Honorable W.J. "Billy" Tauzin
Opposition to H.R. 3261, the Database and Collections of Information Misappropriation Act [PDF]
January 15, 2004

Chairman Young and Ranking Member Obey
Support for Full FY 2004 Funding for NARA's Electronic Records Archive (ERA)
October 6, 2003

Chairman Stevens and Ranking Member Byrd
Support for Full FY 2004 Funding for NARA's Electronic Records Archive (ERA)
October 6, 2003

The Honorable James Sensenbrenner, Jr. and the Honorable W.J. "Billy" Tauzin
Opposition to the Discussion Draft "Database and Collections of Information Misappropriation Act"
September 4, 2003

The Honorable Tom Ridge
Need for Public Input on Information Sharing Rules [PDF]
August 27, 2003

The Honorable Martin Olav Sabo
Support for the Public Access to Science Act
August 18, 2003

The Honorable Sherrod Brown
U.S.-Chile and U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreements
August 18, 2003

The Honorable Zoe Lofgren
Support for the Public Domain Enhancement Act
June 24, 2003

Chairman Philip M. Crane and Ranking Member Sander M. Levin, House Ways and Means Committee, Subcommittee on Trade
U.S.-Chile and U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreements
June 19, 2003

Chairman Charles E. Grassley and Ranking Member Max Baucus, Senate Finance Committee
U.S.-Chile and U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreements
June 19, 2003

The Honorable John McCain, Chair of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee
Support for Senator Brownback's Consumer Privacy Protection Amendments
June 18, 2003

Members of the House Ways and Means Committee
Opposition to Sec. 364 of the Jobs and Growth Reconciliation Tax Act
May 20, 2003

AALL Endorses Book and Library Community Statement
Supporting The Freedom to Read Protection Act (H.R. 1157)
May 15, 2003

Chairman John Warner and Ranking Member Carl Levin, Senate Committee on Armed Services
Freedom of Information Act Exemption for National Security Agency Files in S. 1050, Defense Authorization Act
May 16, 2003

The Honorable Rod Paige, Secretary of Education
Draft Statement of Work for ERIC
May 7, 2003

The Honorable Doug White, President of the Ohio Senate
Opposition to the Electronic Government Services Act
April 29, 2003

The Honorable Jack Kingston, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Legislative, House Committee on Appropriations
Support for the FY 2004 Budget Request of the Library of Congress
April 22, 2003

The Honorable Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Chairman of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee, Senate Appropriations Committee
Support for the FY 2004 Budget Requests of the Library of Congress
April 22, 2003

Office of the United States Trade Representative
Supplemental Comments on the Second Draft Consolidated Texts of the Free Trade Area of the Americas Agreement
February 28, 2003

Mr. Mark Pennak, U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division
Veeck v. Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc., Docket No. 02-335
February 21, 2003

Honorable John Ellis (Jeb) Bush
Opposition to Proposed Closure of the Florida State Library
February 13, 2003

Honorable John McCain and Honorable Patrick J. Leahy
Support for Senate Resolution to Provide Internet Access to Congressional Documents and CRS Publications
February 11, 2003

Veronica Steadman, United States Patent and Trademark Office
Technology Protection Systems for Digitized Copyrighted Works: Higher Education Associations' and Library Associations' Statement for the Record [PDF]
February 4, 2003

Task Force on the Model Definition of the Practice of Law, American Bar Association
Proposed Definition of the Practice of Law [PDF]
February 4, 2003

Office of the United States Trade Representative
Comments on the Second Draft Consolidated Texts of the Free Trade Area of the Americas Agreement
January 31, 2003

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives
Request to Co-sponsor the Digital Media Consumers' Rights Act
January 27, 2003

ABA President Carlton and House of Delegates
Joint Library and Education Letter to the President and House of Delegates of the American Bar Association
January 30, 2003

ABA President Carlton and House of Delegates
AFFECT's Open Letter to the President and House of Delegates of the American Bar Association
January 29, 2003

Members of the ABA House of Delegates
Opposition to UCITA from the Society for Information Management
January 29, 2003

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Joint Comments on Technological Protection Systems for Digitized Copyrighted Works (Docket No. 2003-C-006) [PDF]
January 14, 2003

LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY UPDATES

AALL Spectrum

Articles reprinted here are from AALL Spectrum. Articles copyright 2001-2002. For reprinting permission contact the AALL Editor at AALL Newsletter, American Association of Law Libraries, 53 West Jackson Boulevard, Suite 940, Chicago, Illinois 60604.

December 2004
Washington Brief

November 2004
Washington Brief

September/October 2004
Washington Brief

July 2004
Washington Brief

March 2004
Washington Brief

February 2004
Washington Brief

November 2003
Washington Brief

September 2003
Washington Brief

April 2003
Washington Brief

March 2003
Washington Brief

ACTION ALERTS

Stop INDUCE--Mark-up Now Possible October 7, 2004
October 6, 2004

Stop Kyl "Patriot II" Amendment (#3724) to S. 2679
September 30, 2004

Stop INDUCE--Mark-up Sept. 30, 2004
September 28, 2004

Support Amendments to Rollback Two Provisions
of the USA Patriot Act
November 14, 2003

Urge Congress to Fully Fund the National Archives and Records Administration's Electronic Records Archive (ERA) for FY 2004
October 30, 2003

House Cosponsors Needed for the Public Domain Enhancement Act (H.R. 2601)
June 25, 2003

Urge Congress to Oppose the U.S.-Chile and U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreements
June 18, 2003

URGENT! Egregious OH bill threatens public access
April 24, 2003

Urge ABA House of Delegates to Oppose Resolution 113G
January 16, 2003

Reaffirm Fair Use-Cosponsors Needed for the Digital Media Consumers' Rights Act of 2003 (H.R. 107)
January 8, 2003

REPORTS

State-by-State Report on Permanent Public Access to
Electronic Government Information
June 2003

New Copyright Rules Fail to Provide 
Fair Access in the Digital World
Press Release
October 28, 2003

Information Access Alliance will continue to push for revised analysis
of publisher mergers despite Justice Department's recent approval of
Cinven and Candover purchase of Bertelsmannspringer
Press Release [ PDF ]
September 9, 2003

Information Access Alliance Releases
White Paper and Launches Web Site
Press Release
July 2003

Libraries Urge Justice Department to Block Cinven
and Candover Purchase of Bertelsmannspringer
May 30, 2003

Digital Rights Management:
Whose Rights Are Being Managed?
American Library Association, American Association of Law Libraries,
Association of Research Libraries, Internet 2 and EDUCAUSE
April 2003

BRIEFS

November 29, 2004 Amicus Brief on Behalf of AALL, American Library Association, et al,

• In Support of Respondents Sierra Club and Judicial Watch, Inc., In Re: Richard B. Cheney, Vice-President of the United States, et. al., On Petition for a Writ of Mandamus to and Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, et al. [ PDF ]

October 4, 2004 Amicus Brief on Behalf of American Library Association, American Association of Law Libraries, et al,

• Opening Brief of Petitioners American Library Association, American Association of Law Libraries, et al, vs. Federal Communications Commission, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit [ PDF ]

June 28, 2004 Amicus Brief on Behalf of American Library Association, American Association of Law Libraries, et al,

• In Support of Defendants-Appellees and Affirmance of the Judgment in Douglas Faulkner, et al v. National Geographic Society, et al on Appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. [ PDF ]

March 11, 2004 AALL Participates in Amicus Brief [Press Release]

• In Support of the Sierra Club and Judicial Watch, Inc. in Richard B. Cheney, Vice President of the United States, et. al., v. U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

November 17, 2003 Amicus Brief on Behalf of American Library
Association, American Association of Law Libraries, et al,

• In Support of Plaintiff in Pacific Bell Internet Services v. Recording Industry Association of America, Inc., United States District Court for the Northern District of California [ PDF ]

September 26, 2003 Amicus Brief on Behalf of American Civil Liberties Union, American Library Associatio, American Association of Law Libraries, et al,

• In Support of Defendants-Appellees
  and Urging Affirmance of the District Court's Grant of Partial Summary Judgement in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios v. Grokster, LTD and Jerry Leiber v. Grokster, LTD, on Appeal from the United States District Court for the Central District of California. [ PDF ]

August 25, 2003 Amicus Brief on Behalf of the American Association of Law Libraries Special Interest Sections on Social Responsibilities and Legal Information Services to the Public,

• In Support of Appellants in Gregory Henderson, et al., v. James V. Crosby, Jr. et al, on Appeal from a Final Judgment of the Second Judicial Circuit Court In and For Leon County, Florida [ PDF ]

May 16, 2003 Amicus Brief with the EFF and 43 otherorganizations in RIIA v. Verizon

• to Protect First Amendment Anonymity and Privacy Rights [ PDF ]

June 2, 2003 Amicus Brief on Behalf of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, American Association of Law Libraries, American Library Association, Association of
Research Libraries

• In Support of Petitioner for Writ of Certiorari o the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Baystate Technologies, Inc. v. Harold L. Bowers [ PDF ]

February 14, 2003 Amicus Brief on Behalf of the American Library Association, Association of Research Libraries, American Association of Law Libraries, Digital Future Coaling,
Public Knowledge, et al

• In support of Petition for Write of Certiorari in Dastar Corporation v. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation [ PDF ]

TESTIMONY

May 12, 2004 Before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection

• Joint library testimony of Miriam Nisbet,
  ALA Washington Office,
  for hearing on H.R. 107, the Digital Media
  Consumers' Rights Act

April 28, 2004 Before the House Committee on Administration's Oversight Hearing on the Government Printing Office

• Statement of AALL President Janis L. Johnston On Behalf of
  Five National Library Associations

April 7, 2004 Joint library comments to the U.S. Trade Representative

• On the proposed United States-Thailand
  Free Trade Agreement.
  
  (Similar comments on the proposed Andean and Panama
  FTAs were filed March 29, 2004.)

July 10, 2002 Before the Joint Committee on Printing on "Federal Government Printing and Public Access to Government Documents"

• Statement of Julia F. Wallace Head, Government Publications Library, University of Minnesota
  On behalf of the American Library Association American Association of Law Libraries Association of Research Libraries Medical Library Association

SPEAKING OUT

Chicago Association of Law Libraries
November 17, 2004

The 108th Congress: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
by Mary Alice Baish

2004 Annual Conference of the
South Carolina Library Association
October 29, 2004

Access to Information in Today's Political Climate
by Mary Alice Baish

97th AALL Annual Conference (Boston, MA)
July 14, 2004

Law Librarians as Change Agents: Influencing Public Policy
by Mary Alice Baish

INTERNATIONAL

Four major U.S. library associations today endorsed the
Geneva Declaration on the Future of the World Intellectual
Property Organization [ Press Release ] [PDF]
September 27, 2004         

Memorandum to the Science and Technology Committee,United Kingdom Parliament [PDF]
Inquiry on Scientific Publications
February 9, 2004

The Honorable Sherrod Brown
U.S.-Chile and U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreements
August 18, 2003

Chairman Philip M. Crane and Ranking Member Sander M. Levin,
House Ways and Means Committee, Subcommittee on Trade
U.S.-Chile and U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreements
June 19, 2003

Chairman Charles E. Grassley and Ranking Member Max Baucus,
Senate Finance Committee
U.S.-Chile and U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreements
June 19, 2003

Office of the United States Trade Representative
Supplemental Comments on the Second Draft Consolidated Texts of the
Free Trade Area of the Americas Agreement
February 28, 2003

Office of the United States Trade Representative
Comments on the Second Draft Consolidated Texts of the
Free Trade Area of the Americas Agreement
January 31, 2003