As reported on DigitalKoans previously, the House passed H. R. 3043, which includes the NIH deposit mandate.
ACRL has some suggestions about follow-up actions that supporters of the mandate can take as the battle moves to the Senate.
Here’s an excerpt from ACRL Legislative Update:
- Send a thank you note if your Representative voted yes to pass the House appropriations bill (check the roll call). Your legislators want to hear from you and need to know they did the right thing.
- Contact both of your Senators during August. While a phone call, e-mail or fax would work, consider taking advantage of the fact that they are home for the August recess. Make a visit to the local district office or invite your Senators to visit your library. Urge them to maintain the language put forth by the Senate appropriations committee on the NIH public access policy. Find talking points and contact info in the ALA Legislative Action Center.
- Ask library advocates in your state to talk to their Senators.
- Talk about this issue with leaders on your campus—your government relations office, library advisory committee, faculty senate—to enlist individual and institutional support.
