ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

White House Conference update

By Patricia A. Wand Chair, ACRL Task Force on WHCLIS

The White House Conference On Library And Information Services 1991

From across the country librarians converged on Washington, D.C., for Library Legislative Day on Tuesday, April 24, 1990. The agenda was federal support of libraries and that, of course, included talk about the White House Conference on Library and Information Services (WHCLIS) scheduled for July 1991.

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), in his briefing of librarians, announced that as chair of the Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee, he would include additional funding for WHCLIS through the Supplemental Appropriations Bill (Senate HR4404). That bill passed the Senate with an additional $425,000 allocated to the White House Conference. If the bill passes through the House-Senate negotiations, the supplemental budget will increase to $2 million the amount earmarked for states and territories to carry out their preconference activities.

Most states and territories have now scheduled preconference activities. Those planning events in calendar year 1990 are:

• Illinois, April 4-6

• American Samoa, April 11-12

• Nevada, May 10-11

• Connecticut, May 22-24

• Michigan, May 31-June 1

• Georgia, September 5-6

• Hawaii, September 7-8

• Pennsylvania, September 13-15

• Minnesota, September 16-17

• Maryland, September 23-25

• Louisiana, September/October

• New Jersey, September or December

• Colorado, October 8-10

• West Virginia, October 11-13

• Tennessee, October 14-16

• Marshall Islands, October

• Northern Marianas, October

• Ohio, Fall

• Puerto Rico, November 6-8

• Indian Tribes, November 8-9

• Kansas, November 8-10

• Virginia, November 10-11

• Guam, November 15-17

• Missouri, November 16-17

• Indiana, November 16-18

• New York, November 28-30

• North Dakota, November 29-December

• Oklahoma, November 30-December 1

• Federal Library Community, November

• Florida, December 3-5

Several states have tentative dates set and others have not yet determined their preconference activity schedule. As an example of the focus that discussions may take, the stated objectives of the Illinois pre-White House Conference on Libraries and Information Services were:

• develop issues and questions relative to the delivery and use of information in Illinois;

• study new information technologies and their potential in Illinois;

• discuss the role for Illinois libraries in providing information for literacy, productivity, and democracy.

Academic librarians in all states may contact their state libraries to learn the details of events.