Washington Office News

Yesterday the Washington Office welcomed Associate Professor Renate Chancellor of The Catholic University of America’s Department of Library and Information Science for a breakfast discussion on the history of library advocacy and activism. Her presentation spanned the decades, from the work of E.J. Josey to the legacies left and continued by Augusta Baker and Sandy Berman. Dr. Chancellor led a ... Read More »

In 1945, the ALA announced the establishment of the Washington Office. It began operation 72 years ago today on October 1. The Washington Office was charged with educating and working with legislators and public officials to obtain funding and policies that benefit libraries and public access to information. In addition, the Washington Office was—and continues to be—responsible for making official ... Read More »

This is a guest post from Andrew Staton, our fall special collections intern joining us from the University of Maryland. Andrew is a genealogist and budding archivist with two semesters left at UMD. He graduated from the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts in history and a Bachelor of Arts in historic preservation and ... Read More »

Here’s something you may not know about the Washington Office’s in-house copyright expert Carrie Russell: Carrie loves puzzles. On the first floor of the Washington Office, Carrie always has a jigsaw puzzle in progress. And, in her office on the second floor, she’s spent the last 18 years trying to untangle the field’s bigger knots. Carrie — who is being ... Read More »

Last Friday, we said goodbye to our 2017 Google Policy Fellow Alisa Holahan. The week before her departure, she and OITP hosted a lunch and discussion for this year’s cohort of Google Policy Fellows. Similar to the six Policy Fellows lunches we have hosted in the past (in 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011), the gathering was an opportunity ... Read More »