NEWS MEDIA ADVISORY February 14, 1997 FCC COMMISSIONER SUSAN NESS TO ADDRESS AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION MIDWINTER MEETING FOCUS ON CONNECTING LIBRARIES TO THE INTERNET FCC Commissioner Susan Ness will address the American Library Association's (ALA) Midwinter Meeting on Sunday, February 16 at 3 pm. The ALA's President's Program will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel-Independence Ballroom. Commissioner Ness's speech, "Libraries" A Critical Lane on the Information Highway," will address the need to connect libraries and classrooms to the Internet, an issue currently before the FCC. Commissioner Ness is a member of the Universal Service Joint Board, a body of Federal-State policymakers who have recommended to the FCC that libraries along with schools receive steep discounts to the Internet and other telecom services. On a more "hands on" level, Commissioner Ness has joined in local Net Day efforts. ***************************************************************** WHO: FCC COMMISSIONER SUSAN NESS WHAT: Libraries" A Critical Lane on the Information Highway, A SPEECH TO THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION MIDWINTER MEETING WHY: FCC DECISION ON CONNECTING LIBRARIES TO THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY WHERE: Grand Hyatt Hotel-Independence Ballroom 1000 H Street, NW, Washington, DC WHEN: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1997, 3:00 PM *****************************************************************