ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

WASHINGTON HOTLINE

Carol C. Henderson (202) 547-4440; ALA0Ü70 Deputy Director, ALA Washington Office

Gramm- Rudman cuts» Landmark, legislation (Balanced Budget and Deficit Control Act of 1985, PL 99-177) to balance the federal budget was passed late last year, and is often called the Gramm—Rudman—Hollings amendment after its chief Senate sponsors, A series of across-the-board cuts is to eliminate the deficit by 1991, About 73/ of the budget has been made exempt from cuts; savings are to come half from the remaining domestic programs, half from defense.

The cut for domestic programs for fiscal year 1986 is 4.3%, to take effect March 1 , 1986, and will be on top of any other cuts Congress may already have made. For instance, Higher Education Act title II-B (training and research) and II-C (research library grant programs), and the Library Services and Construction Act title III (interlibrary cooperation program) will be cut 4.3 / from FY 1985 levels; the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, 8.3%.

The Library of Congress will be cut 7.7%, the National Agricultural Library, 6%. The National Library of Medicine’s increase will be shaved to 2%; the Medical Library Assistance Act will be cut 4.3%. GPO’s Superintendent of Documents operation will be down 14%; the National Endowment for the Humanities, 5%. Also affected will be postal subsidies, down 10.6%. Preferred postal rates went up January 1-------24% higher for a 2—lb. 4th class library rate package and may have to be increased again later.

Federal Information Management. The Office of Management and Budget Cir— ular A—130, Management of Federal Information Resources, was published in final form in the December 25, 1985, Federal Register, pp. 52730-51, with corrections in the January 6, 1986, Fed.Reg., p. 461. 0MB did not make the final draft available for further public review before publication despite congressional, ALA, and other requests to do so.

Substantial changes were made, including a requirement that agencies ensure that government publications are made available to depository libraries as required by law, and that agencies allow for notice and public comment before terminating products or services. However, the circular still directs agencies to create or collect only information necessary for proper performance of agency functions, places very restrictive conditions on dissemination, requires maximum feasible reliance on the private sector, and calls for cost recovery through user charges where appropriate.

“Less access to less info..," A second supplement covering July-December 1985 to the 1981-84 "Less Access to Less Information By and About the U.S. Government" has been published by the ALA Washington Office, 110 Maryland Ave., NE, Washington, DC 20002. The supplement is available for a self- addressed mailing label. For the original booklet, add $1.00 prepaid.

(Washington Hotline, cont’d)

Grants guide. Also just published is "Federal Grants for Library and Information Services," a selective guide to 59 federal programs. Copies are available for $5.00 prepaid from the ALA Washington Office, 110 Maryland Ave., NE, Washington, DC 20002. Include a self-addressed mailing label.