14 May 1999 [2]

In this aliaNEWS broadcast...

Australian Library Week Oration

General Council call for nominations

The Online Services Regulation Bill

Federal Budget 1999

Copyright and the digital agenda

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Australian Library Week Oration
In case you hadn't noticed, Australian Library Week 99 has arrived! The 1999 Australian Library Week Oration was delivered by Warren Horton in very fine style at Parliament House in Canberra on 13 May, to a large and appreciative crowd. The full transcript of his speech (and photographs) is posted on ALIAnet. http://www.alia.org.au/advocacy/alw/1999/oration.html

ALW merchandise is still available, and for general information and news on ALW activities, visit: http://www.alia.org.au/advocacy/alw/

General Council call for nominations
Nominations were called for two institutional members and two personal members of the Association to fill four new positions created on General Council under Principle 1 of the Charter of Renewal. Today [14 May] is the deadline for nominations. http://archive.alia.org.au/governance/elections/1999/

The Online Services Regulation Bill
The debate surrounding the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Online Services) Bill 1999 is proving controversial and yet the Bill is most likely to be passed by the House with only minor amendments. Transcripts of Hansard from the recent Senate Committee Hearing show that we articulated ALIA's position on the basis of the Association's statement on freedom to read, and our interim statement on the use of online information. This position was both challenged and supported by members of the committee and became a media 'hook' for some media outlets.
http://www.alia.org.au/advocacy/submissions/ [our submission]
http://www.alia.org.au/media.releases/1999.05.04a.html [subsequent press release]

Federal Budget 1999
The Coalition Government's Federal Budget 1999-2000 was delivered on Tuesday night of this week. ALIA National Office staff pored over the plethora of documents made available on the night and have drafted an analysis of what this means for the library sector. A full reprint of our report will also be included in the next issue of inCite: http://www.alia.org.au/publishing/budget.analysis/1999.html

Copyright and the digital agenda
ALIA has written to the Government, the Shadow Ministry and the Australian Democrats urging them to support the Australian Libraries Copyright Committee's (ALCC) responses to the Copyright Amendment (Digital Agenda) Bill 1999. You are encouraged to write to your local member expressing support for the ALCC's responses to the Bill. The Bill is expected to be introduced into Parliament in June: http://www.alia.org.au/advocacy/copyright/digital.agenda/1999.05c.html

Feedback
This issue of aliaNEWS is an interim broadcast and is a supplement to the regular monthly timetable. Due to the importance of the issues at hand, we felt it important enough to warrant an additional broadcast. As always, we would like to know your thoughts on what you would like to see in this broadcast, and how you would like to see it.

Send your comments to Ivan Trundle, manager, communications and publishing (please remove the '.nospam' from address).

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