National Jukebox at LoC
Library of Congress Launches, with Sony Music Content, the National Jukebox, an Online Destination for Historical Sound Recordings, News from the Library of Congress, (May 10, 2011).
Largest Collection of Historical Recordings Ever Made Publically Available Online The Library of Congress and Sony Music Entertainment today unveiled a new website of over 10,000 rare historic sound recordings available to the public for the first time digitally. The site is called the "National Jukebox" (www.loc.gov/jukebox/). Developed by the Library of Congress, with assets provided by Sony Music Entertainment, the National Jukebox offers free online access to a vast selection of music and spoken-word recordings produced in the U.S. between the years 1901 and 1925.Continue reading
Future of CRS
Sunshine advocates say Congressional Research Service reports should be posted online, By Joseph Marks, NextGov (05/09/2011). Speaking at a panel discussion on the Future of the Congressional Research Service (CRS), sponsored by the Sunlight Foundation, Mike Stern, a former House senior counsel, said that the legal justification for long-standing statutory language prohibiting CRS from making its reports available outside the halls of Congress has been effectively superseded by the Internet Age.
Project on Government Secrecy Director Steve Aftergood told Nextgov Monday that putting nonconfidential CRS reports online wouldn't just increase government transparency, but also might press CRS analysts to take advantage of hyperlinks, Web graphics, embedded video and other innovative Web-based features. "I think they haven't quite figured out how to cope with the Internet Age," Aftergood said of the organization referred to as Congress' think tank. "In many respects they're really stuck in the 1990s."The panels' moderator, Daniel Schuman, noted that the CRS 2009 annual report described a pilot program that would allow some congressional committees to automatically post CRS reports containing certain search terms on their websites, but that the plan did was not adopted and the report has since been removed from the CRS website. The entire 1.5 hour panel can be seen at http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/ResearchS Continue reading
The Electronic World Treaty Index
Nice article on the Electronic World Treaty Index and related sources:
- The Electronic World Treaty Index, by Daniel Martin Katz, VoxPopuLII, Cornell University Law School, Legal Information Institute (May 6, 2011).
Today is National Library Legislative day. Please contact your representatives!
There's a lot happening in Washington DC these days surrounding the federal budget. And many of the items slated for cutting greatly effect the work that libraries do. So PLEASE contact your representatives today (or better yet go to DC if you're in the area!!). See the ALA action alert for more background and go here to look up your representatives.
Please contact your elected officials with the following requests: APPROPRIATIONS FY2012 Fund the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) at $232 million, the level last authorized in December 2010; Preserve the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program with its own budget line and appropriate the program at its FY2010 level of $19.1 million; Maintain funding for the U.S. Census Bureau’s Statistical Compendia Branch at $2.9 million in order to preserve publication of “Statistical Abstracts” and other publications; Fund the Salaries and Expenses work of the Government Printing Office (GPO) at $42,173,000 to preserve public access through the FDLP and FedSYS. Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) (School Libraries): Support student performance by including an effective school library program as part of ESEA through the LEARN Act to include: A school library staffed by a state-certified school librarian; A school library with up-to-date books, materials, equipment, and technology, including broadband connectivity; and Instruction by librarians for students and staff on digital and computer literacy skills, including collaboration between classroom teachers and school librarians to develop and implement the curriculum and other school reforms. While these issues are the most urgent at this time, there are many other critical pieces of legislation impacting libraries. For full list of key issues that will be discussed at National Library Legislative Day, click here. ALA has also drafted issue briefs on the following areas: Access, Appropriations for Libraries, Broadband & Telecommunications, Copyright, Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Government Services & Information, Surveillance & Privacy and the WILL Act.Continue reading
Future of CRS on CSPAN
Updated It looks like CSPAN will be broadcasting and webcasting today's meeting to discuss the future of the Congressional Research Service, May 9, from 2-3:30 pm (EDT). streaming live link: http://www.c-span.org/Live-Video/C-SPAN/ link to archived version after the event is over (including a transcript): http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/ResearchS
Steve Aftergood -- senior research analyst, the Federation of American Scientists, and director, FAS Project on Government Secrecy. Stan Brand -- founder, the Brand Law Group; General Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives (1976-1983) Robyn Russell -- legislative assistant, Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) Nye Stevens -- deputy director, Government and Finance Division, Congressional Research Service (2000-2006); director, Federal Management and Workforce Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office (1982-2000); director, Organization and Special Projects Division, U.S. Office of Management and Budget (1977-1982) Moderator: Daniel Schuman -- policy counsel and director of the Advisory Committee on Transparency, Sunlight Foundation; attorney, American Law Division, Congressional Research Service (2006-2007)Hat tip to Gary for updated information! Continue reading