[Libs-Or] INFO AND ACTION: ALA, ACRL file network neutrality comments with FCC

[Diedre Conkling]

http://www.districtdispatch.org/2014/07/ala-acrl-file-net-neutrality-comments-fcc/

ALA, ACRL file network neutrality comments with FCC
Posted on July 18, 2014 by Larra Clark

Today the American Library Association (ALA) and the Association of College
and Research Libraries (ACRL) urged
<http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2014/07/ala-brings-library-lens-network-neutrality-debate-fcc-public-comments>
the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to adopt the legally
enforceable network neutrality rules necessary to fulfill library missions
and serve communities nationwide. The ALA and ACRL joined nine other
national higher education and library organizations in filing joint public
comments
<http://www.ala.org/offices/sites/ala.org.offices/files/content/oitp/publications/officialfilings/library-highered_nn_comments_july_2014.pdf>
(pdf) with the FCC.

The joint comments build on the ALA resolution adopted by Council at the
2014 Annual Conference and align with the 2014 legislative agenda
<http://www.ala.org/acrl/issues/washingtonwatch/legagenda> developed by
ACRL. They also provide greater detail for the network neutrality principles
<http://www.districtdispatch.org/2014/07/higher-education-library-groups-release-net-neutrality-principles-2/>
released July 10 and suggest ways to strengthen the FCC’s proposed rules
<http://www.fcc.gov/document/protecting-and-promoting-open-internet-nprm>
(released May 15, 2014) to preserve an open internet for libraries, higher
education and the communities they serve. For instance, the FCC should:

   - explicitly apply open Internet rules to public broadband Internet
   access service provided to libraries, institutions of higher education and
   other public interest organizations;
   - prohibit “paid prioritization;”
   - adopt rules that are technology-neutral and apply equally to fixed and
   mobile services;
   - adopt a re-defined “no-blocking” rule that bars public broadband
   Internet access providers from interfering with the consumer’s choice of
   content, applications, or services;
   - further strengthen disclosure rules;
   - charge the proposed ombudsman with protecting the interests of
   libraries and higher education institutions and other public interest
   organizations, in addition to consumers and small businesses;
   - continue to recognize that libraries and institutions of higher
   education operate private networks or engage in end user activities not
   subject to open Internet rules; and
   - preserve the unique capacities of the Internet as an open platform by
   exercising its well-established sources of authority to implement open
   Internet rules, based on Title II reclassification or an “Internet
   reasonable” standard under Section 706.

The joint comments mark another definitive statement on behalf of all types
of libraries and the communities we serve, but are simply one more step in
a long journey toward our goal. There’s more to be done, and librarians can
make their voices heard in a number of ways:

   1. *Email* to the ALA Washington Office (lclark[at]alawash[dot]org)
   examples of Internet Service Provider (ISP) slowdowns, lost quality of
   service relative to your subscribed ISP speeds, and any other harm related
   to serving your community needs. Alternately, please share examples of
   potential harm if we do not preserve the open internet (e.g., impact on
   cloud-based services and/or ability to disseminate digitized or streaming
   content on an equal footing with commercial content providers that
   otherwise might pay for faster “lanes” for their content over library
   content).
   2. Ask your board to support and/or adopt the network neutrality
   principles. Several people in attendance at the Annual Conference program
   <http://www.districtdispatch.org/2014/07/policy-discussions-continue-ala-annual-conference-vegas/>
   on the topic suggested this, and the ALA Washington Office will develop and
   share a template for this purpose in the coming weeks.




http://www.districtdispatch.org/2014/07/ala-acrl-file-net-neutrality-comments-fcc/

-- 
*Diedre Conkling*




*Lincoln County Library DistrictP.O. Box 2027Newport, OR 97365Phone & Fax:
541-265-3066Work email**: **diedre at lincolncolibrarydist.org*
<diedre at lincolncolibrarydist.org>
*Home email: **diedre08 at gmail.com* <diedre08 at gmail.com>

 “If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change
your attitude.”―Maya Angelou
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