Katherine Klosek, Director, Information Policy and Federal Relations, ARL
Contributions from the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) by Katherine McColgan, Manager, Administration and Programs, CARL
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In June, ARL and member libraries advocated for college accreditation standards to retain key elements of librarianship. CARL issued a statement welcoming Canada’s national AI strategy, highlighting library priorities and opportunities for the government to engage with libraries.
In Congress, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the NO FAKES Act, the bill that would regulate AI-generated deepfakes with exceptions for libraries, archives, and educational institutions. The US House of Representatives passed H.R. 6028, the Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act; the next step for the bill would be consideration by the Senate. And the Committee on House Administration advanced the GPO Modernization Act of 2026.
The US Copyright Office kicked off the 10th triennial Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) rulemaking. The Library Copyright Alliance (LCA) will petition to renew regulations allowing for the preservation of films, video games, and other software; the use of assistive technologies on ebooks; and captioning/audio description for motion pictures.
As institutions prepare to respond to the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposed revisions of 2 CFR 200, Uniform Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance, ARL shared this set of considerations to help research library leaders articulate and document the impact of the proposed changes to the Uniform Guidance on library budgets, operations, and university-based research.
In Canada, the House of Commons rose for the summer on June 19, but in the weeks leading up to the House rising, the government put forward two long-awaited pieces of draft legislation: Bill C-36, An act to enact the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act, to amend the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, and to make amendments to other Acts; and Bill C-34, An Act to enact the Digital Safety Act and the Digital Safety Commission of Canada Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts (a.k.a. Safe Social Media Act). Both bills reached first reading and will be brought back to the House for second reading at the end of summer break. CARL will be working over the summer to prepare its submissions for when the legislation goes to committee.
Read on for more details!
The monthly Public Policy Briefing highlights developments in ARL’s public policy priorities, issues that are relevant to the research library community in the United States and Canada, and details on advocacy conducted by ARL and CARL. Please encourage your colleagues to sign up for the Public Policy Briefing.
If you have questions or suggestions, please email me at kklosek@arl.org.
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Access to Government Information
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Copyright and Fair Use/Fair Dealing
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Proposed Revisions to Uniform Guidance for US Federal Financial Assistance
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Access to Government Information
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GPO Modernization Act of 2026 Advances in US House of Representatives
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The Committee on House Administration advanced the GPO Modernization Act of 2026, which would codify US Government Publishing Office (GPO) operational practices to align with the digital era. The next step would be a full House floor vote.
The bill formally establishes the National Collection of US Government Public Information under the administration of the superintendent of documents to ensure free, permanent, and equitable access to government public information in partnership with depository libraries. Other key provisions modernize the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) by authorizing digital-only depository libraries and allowing existing depositories to substitute digital information for tangible publications. The act mandates the digitization of major government resources, requires the Library of Congress to prepare the Constitution Annotated and its supplements in digital-only formats, and directs the GPO to provide the Congressional Directory on a public website. The bill includes provisions for user privacy suggested by the American Library Association (ALA).
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CARL Provides Feedback on Canadian Government’s Access to Information Act
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CARL submitted comments on the government’s review of the Access to Information Act, recommending that the government adopt processes that are more in line with similar jurisdictions, calling for the creation of a publication scheme, systems for proactive disclosure and declassification, ensuring fair and equitable access to information, and setting protocols for managing Indigenous knowledge.
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ARL and Members Advocate for Libraries in College Accreditation Standards
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ARL submitted comments urging the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to retain two fundamental elements in the previous accreditation standards 11.1, 11.2, and 11.3: adequate professional staff with appropriate educational credentials, and meaningful access to library services and resources.
The SACSCOC proposal to change its standards appears to be part of a trend of accreditation bodies proposing to remove key elements of librarianship from their core principles of accreditation. The current Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) standard is also undergoing revision; however, thanks to advocacy by librarians and others, NWCCU gave libraries and their institutions a chance to augment that standard.
Under weakened standards, institutions could satisfy accreditation requirements without providing meaningful library services, adequate resources, or the expertise of trained library professionals. Removing or collapsing these elements downplays the critical roles that librarians play in scholarship, research, and education. This raises concerns about the prioritization of the library relative to other academic units, the erosion of information literacy from core educational outcomes, and the future of the profession of librarianship.
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CARL Statement on Canada’s National AI Strategy
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In response to the national AI strategy released by Prime Minister Carney on June 4, CARL recognized the government’s work engaging in broad consultations prior to authoring the strategy and gathering perspectives from diverse stakeholders, noting that some of CARL’s recommendations, including privacy, literacy, and equitable access to AI, are included in the strategy. The statement highlights that research libraries are conspicuously absent from the strategy as named partners, noting the research library community’s role in providing foundational infrastructure for the universities, researchers, and students, supporting the critical literacy efforts identified in the strategy and leveraging their central role in the research ecosystem to secure the data infrastructure, scholarly resources, and information environments on which AI research and education depend. CARL calls upon the government to formally recognize research libraries as partners in the National AI Literacy Initiative and in the broader knowledge infrastructure the strategy seeks to build.
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Copyright and Fair Use/Fair Dealing
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ARL to Engage in DMCA Rulemaking
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The US Copyright Office published a notice of inquiry and request for petitions on June 9, initiating the 10th triennial rulemaking proceeding under Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Section 1201 prohibits users from circumventing technological protection measures that control access to copyrighted works, even for lawful uses. Every three years, advocates can petition for exemptions for certain users to bypass digital locks to access specific categories of works.
ARL, through the Library Copyright Alliance (LCA), plans to submit petitions to renew regulations allowing for the preservation of films, video games, and other software; the use of assistive technologies on ebooks; and the captioning/audio description of motion pictures.
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NO FAKES Act Advances to Senate Floor
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The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the NO FAKES Act by a unanimous voice vote on June 18.
The bill introduces liability for unauthorized use of an individual’s image or likeness, but excludes libraries, archives, and educational institutions from liability thanks to amended language negotiated by the Library Copyright Alliance.
The next step for the bill would be consideration by the full Senate. A coalition of civil society organizations continues to oppose the NO FAKES Act due to concerns that it endangers First Amendment–protected speech.
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US House Passes Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act
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The US House of Representatives passed H.R. 6028, the Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act, on June 8. The next step would be for the Senate to take up the measure.
The bill would shift the power to appoint the librarian of Congress from the president to a congressional commission comprising the bicameral and bipartisan leadership of the House and Senate. Under the bill, the librarian of Congress could be removed by a majority vote of the House and Senate majority and minority leaders. The bill would also make the register of copyrights a presidential appointee subject to Senate confirmation, rather than an appointee of the librarian of Congress, and would strip the Library of Congress of its supervisory authority over the Copyright Office.
The recent US Supreme Court decision in Trump v. Slaughter might give impetus to lawmakers who wish to protect the librarian of Congress from presidential removal to pass H.R. 6028.
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Proposed Revisions to Uniform Guidance for US Federal Financial Assistance
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Supporting Institutional Advocacy: ARL Guidance for Library/Campus Coordination
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ARL prepared this set of considerations to help research library leaders articulate and document the impact of the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposed changes to Uniform Guidance on library budgets, operations, and university-based research. Our considerations document includes questions to support conversations with senior administrators, government relations teams, and other institutional partners. These questions can help ensure the library perspective is reflected in institutional comments.
Submitting specific, evidence-based comments with examples of direct library and institutional harms and potential unintended effects helps establish a robust administrative record of stakeholder opposition to the proposed rule. The evidence gathered may also be useful in any subsequent congressional advocacy.
Comments are due on or before July 13, 2026, via regulations.gov, docket OMB-2026-0034. According to the notice, the final regulation will be effective October 1, 2026. ARL will make our comments public during the week of July 6.
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About the Association of Research Libraries
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The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit membership organization of research libraries and archives in major public and private universities, federal government agencies, and large public institutions in Canada and the US. ARL champions research libraries and archives, develops visionary leaders, and shapes policy for the equitable advancement of knowledge.
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