Discusses media directors' knowledge of copyright law at higher education institutions. The results of two surveys about copyright are presented showing that only 10-15% of media directors could reach a 75% competency level of the law. Some guidelines for correcting this situation are presented. (JLB)

A lawsuit against the National Science Foundation, alleging use of peer reviewers biased toward certain grant proposals and requesting information about peer reviewer identities, may lead to significant changes in how the federal government examines grant applications. Confidentiality of records and accountability for decisions are at issue. (MSE)

The universal feeding program makes school lunches free for all students and uses the resultant increase in participation and reduction in paperwork expense to cover the loss in paid meals. In Brownsville, Texas, careful analysis of projected revenues and innovative marketing strategies have made the program a success. (MLF)

The American Bar Association has agreed to change its accrediting practices to end an antitrust suit brought by a law school denied accreditation. The consent decree is being studied carefully by other accrediting agencies to determine its broader applicability. Antitrust scrutiny in higher education is increasing. (MSE)

Discusses federal regulation of cable television. Topics addressed include Congressional legislation; Federal Communications Commission (FCC) guidelines; pricing; conflicts between broadcasters and the cable industry; the telephone industry's entrance into the cable market; and possible effects of regulatory changes on educational television. (LRW)

Describes the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and discusses its implications for both public and private libraries. The term "disability" is defined; sources of federal regulations that pertain to libraries are cited; the need for sign language interpreters is discussed; Braille materials are considered; and staff requirements are…

Highlights key aspects of and issues related to the "Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998," a bill passed by the U.S. Senate on May 14, 1998. Discussion includes banning of black boxes (i.e., technological-protection measures such as tv signal scramblers), fair-use protection, identification of copyrighted works, protection for…

Assesses what the Internet can do for legal researchers compared to the LEXIS and WESTLAW commercial online services. Highlights include the United States Code, Code of Federal Regulations, Supreme Court decisions, directories of lawyers and law firms, state law, Congressional information, and listservs and newsgroups. (LRW)

On a federal tax form, only 75 of 475 colleges and universities surveyed reported that they had spent money on lobbying, defined as direct contacts with legislators or executive-branch officials about specific bills. Guidelines concerning reporting are unclear and confusing, and some institutions reveal as little as possible. Data on 78…

Two reports discuss 1998 bills affecting education programs, libraries and publishing. Acts include: Digital Millennium Copyright, Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension; Trademark Law Treaty Implementation; Children's Online Protection/Privacy Protection; Internet Tax Freedom; Next Generation Internet Research; Year 2000 Information/Readiness…

The Human Use Regulatory Affairs Advisor (HURAA) is an Internet facility that provides help and training on the ethical use of human subjects in research, based on documents and regulations in United States Federal agencies. HURAA has a number of standard features of conventional web facilities and computer-based training, such as hypertext,…

As a result of increasing mobility of students and knowledge, cross border education, especially in higher education, is receiving general attention in the Asia and Pacific region. The toolkit serves as a reference tool to assist local policymakers in the formulation of a regulatory framework for cross-border education that is growing rapidly in…

The Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 (IASA) was signed into law on October 20, 1994, as P.L. 103-382. The legislation reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) through fiscal year 1999. The ESEA authorizes most federal elementary and secondary education programs, including the Title I program to provide…

The first half of the proceedings consists of three papers presented during the program session of a Library of Congress Network Advisory Committee (NAC) meeting. The first, a background paper by Robert L. Oakley, identifies some of the problems that modern information technology has created for the intellectual property system in the United…

To update a 1977 study of indirect cost rates in Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member institutions, the Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) contacted several member libraries and the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) in 1980 for current information and documents. A number of ARL members…