2010 L. Ray Patterson Copyright Award

The ALA Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) is calling for nominations for the 2010 L. Ray Patterson Copyright Award. This annual award honors individuals or groups who embody the spirit of the U.S. copyright law as voiced by the framers of our Constitution: “to promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts” (U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 8).

Please send letters of nomination outlining a candidate’s qualifications for this award to Carrie Russell, director, Program on Public Access to Information, ALA OITP, 1615 New Hampshire Avenue NW, First Floor, Washington, D.C. 20009, or to E-mail: . Include examples of how the nominee has contributed to the pursuit of the fundamental tenets of copyright law. Nominees who have worked or collaborated with libraries will be given special consideration. Nominations will be accepted through January 15, 2009.

Patterson was a foremost legal thinker, writer, and champion of users’ rights. He was a pioneer who exposed the restrictive nature of new interpretations and unnecessary expansions of contemporary copyright law. For librarians, Patterson was a key legal figure who articulated how corporate interests have sidetracked the true purpose of copyright—to advance learning and to ensure that knowledge is broadly disseminated to the public. Through numerous books, articles, and briefs, Patterson highlighted and justified the importance of the public domain and fair use.

James Madison Award

The ALA Washington Office is seeking nominations for the James Madison Award to honor individuals or groups who have championed, protected, and promoted public access to government information and the public’s right to know on the national level.

The annual award, named in honor of President James Madison, was established by the ALA in 1986. It is presented during Freedom of Information (FOI) Day, an event on or near March 16 (Madison’s birthday), who is widely regarded as the Father of the Constitution and as the foremost advocate for openness in government.

Nominations should be submitted to the ALA’s Washington Office no later than February 6, 2010. Submissions should include a statement (maximum one page) about nominee’s contribution to public access to government information and why it merits the award and one seconding letter. Please include a brief biography and contact information for the nominee.

Send e-mail nominations to Jessica Mc-Gilvray, assistant director for the ALA Office of Government Relations, at E-mail: .

Library Advocacy Day

In 2010, the ALA Washington Office will replace its annual National Library Legislative Day (NLLD) in Washington, D.C., with an exciting, one-time opportunity—Library Advocacy Day—combining a rally on Capitol Hill with participants’ traditional visits to Congressional offices.

Library Advocacy Day will give the thousands of ALA members who will be attending the 2010 ALA Annual Conference scheduled for June 24–30, 2010, in Washington, D.C., a chance to get involved in federal advocacy.

The rally will begin at 11 a.m. on June 29, 2010, at the Upper Senate Park on the U.S. Capitol grounds. As with NLLD, Advocacy Day participants will work with their state coordinators to schedule meetings with their members of Congress after the rally.

For more information on the event—including how to contact state coordinators—contact Kristin Murphy, government relations specialist for the ALA Washington Office, at E-mail: or (800) 941-8478.