GAZETTE Volume 23, No. 49 • December 21, 2012 • A weekly publication for Library staff Inside Copyright Chief of Operations Named Register of Copyrights Maria A. Pallante this week named David J. Christopher chief of operations for the U.S. Copyright Office. Page 2 Turow Explores Future of the Author Courtesy of the Criterion Collection Best-selling writer Scott Turow headed “The Times of Harvey Milk” tells the story of the first openly gay official in San Francisco. a panel that considered the future of the professional author in the digital age. Page 3 In a League of Their Own: Researching Lincoln at the Library Author William Martin discusses the 25 Films Added to Registry role the Library of Congress played as a resource for the writing of his historical ibrarian of Congress James H. Bil- mystery novel, “The Lincoln Letter.” The 25 films selected for the Page 6 lington on Wednesday named the L first film to star an African-American National Film Registry, page 4 actor, documentaries that explore the kill- ing fields of Cambodia and the Holocaust, to American culture. They reflect who we and a homage to the epic drama of pro are as a people and as a nation.” football to the National Film Registry of The films added to the registry this the Library of Congress. week span more than a century (1897 to “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” “Samsara: Death 1999) of filmmaking and include classic and Rebirth in Cambodia,” “One Survivor crowd-pleasers (“Born Yesterday,” “A Remembers,” “They Call It Pro Football” League of Their Own”), experimental and hits such as “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” works (“Kodachrome Color Motion Pic- and “A League of Their Own” were among ture Tests”), milestones of independent the 25 motion pictures chosen by Billing- filmmaking (“Slacker”), home movies ton for inclusion in the registry. (“The Augustas”) and history (“The “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Dec. 21 at the “Established by Congress in 1989, Corbett-Fitzsimmons Title Fight”). Packard Campus. the National Film Registry spotlights The new selections, which bring the the importance of preserving America’s number of films in the registry to 600, On Tap unparalleled film heritage,” Billington also include a cinematic milestone – the Lectures, films, classes, concerts and other events at the Library of Congress said. “These films are not selected as first feature-length American film to star over the next three weeks. the ‘best’ American films of all time, but Page 8 rather as works of enduring importance REGISTRY, continued on page 7 2 T H E LIBRARY OF CONGRESS GA ZETTE DECEMBER 21, 2012 NEWS Christopher Named Chief GAZETTE Of Operations for Copyright Office www.loc.gov/staff/gazette GAYLE OSTERBERG Register of Copyrights Maria A. Pal- Executive Editor lante on Monday named David J. Chris- MARK HARTSELL topher chief of operations for the U.S. Editor Copyright Office. Contributing Editors: Erin Allen, Calendar; Carlin “René” Sayles, Moving On and Length of Service; Christopher assumed the post imme- Lisa Davis, Donated Leave diately, following 18 months as chief of Proofreader: George Thuronyi the office’s Information and Records Design and Production: Ashley Jones Division. PETER BRAESTRUP GAIL FINEBERG JAMES W. McCLUNG Founder Founding Editor Founding Publisher Since joining the Copyright Office in (1990 – 1997) (1990 – 2009) (1990 – 1994) 2006, Christopher has been involved in most of the office’s business functions, An official publication of the Library of Congress,The Gazette including registration processes, union encourages Library managers and staff to submit articles and photographs of general interest. Submissions will be edited to negotiations, budgeting, external com- convey the most necessary information. munications, federal contracts, strategic Chris Reed Deadline for submission of articles is 5 p.m. Wednesday, one planning and ongoing re-engineering week prior to publication date. Please submit text in digital Christopher form via e-mail ([email protected]) preferably as an attached efforts. Microsoft Word file. “David is creative, collaborative and functions with business needs and better Back issues of The Gazette in print are available in the Public Affairs Office, LM 105. results-driven,” Pallante said. “He will be manage resources, Pallante said. Electronic archived issues and the a color PDF file of the current a great asset to the office at a time when “It’s an exciting time to be in the issue are available online at www.loc.gov/staff/gazette. we need to be all of those things.” Copyright Office and I am grateful for As chief of operations, Christopher this opportunity,” Christopher said. “We Library of Congress Gazette will supervise the day-to-day operations have a dedicated, professional staff who Washington, DC 20540-1620 of the Copyright Office, including finan- are passionate about public service. I am Editorial: Mark Hartsell, 7-9194, [email protected] Design and production: Ashley Jones, cial controls, budget, human capital, fortunate to be part of the team.” 7-9193, [email protected] statutory royalty investments, mandatory Christopher holds a bachelor’s degree ISSN 1049-8184 deposit and acquisitions, contracts and in philosophy from the University of Ten- Printed on paper that contains recycled paper by the Printing Management Section, Office Systems Services strategic planning functions. He will nessee and a master’s degree in interna- work closely with senior managers in tional commerce and policy from George Gazette Welcomes Letters from Staff technology, registration, policy and the Mason University. He also is a graduate of Staff is invited to use the Forum pages for lively and thoughtful greater Library of Congress, as the office the Harvard Kennedy School Executive debate relevant to Library issues. However, just as other newspa- per editors exercise discretion over which letters to publish and concludes a two-year transitional work Education Program and was selected as how to edit them, so do we. In deciding whether or how much to publish, we consider content (including misstatements of fact, plan and begins to implement new initia- a presidential management fellow by the libel, innuendo, ridicule of individuals or the institution, personal tives and direction, including for records Library 2005. attacks, and redundancy) and length (the limit is 300 words). search, repositories and fee adjustments. Christopher succeeds Melissa Dadant, Letters must be signed by the author, whose place of work and telephone extension should be included so we can verify author- His first assignment will be to oversee who was named senior adviser for opera- ship. Letter writers should understand that when they sign their letters and release them to us for publication they are relinquishing a strategic reorganization of the Copy- tions and special projects in 2011. Dadant privacy. If a letter calls for management response, for example, right Office to better align the business will retire in February. u an explanation of a policy or actions or clarification of fact, we will ask for management response.—Ed. Gazette Deadlines No Gazette Issue on Dec. 28, Jan. 4 The deadline for editorial copy for the Jan. 11 The Gazette will not publish on Dec. 28 and Jan. 4 because of the federal Gazette is Wednesday, Jan. 2. Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays. Boxed advertisements for events E-mail editorial copy and letters to the editor to [email protected]. occurring the week of Jan. 13 should be submitted by 9 a.m. on Jan. 7 for To promote events through the Library’s publication in the issue of Jan. 11. online calendar (www.loc.gov/loc/events) and the Gazette Calendar, e-mail event and contact information to [email protected] by 9 a.m. Monday of the week of publication. Boxed announcements should be submitted electronically (text files) by 9 a.m. Monday Read the Gazette in color at www.loc.gov/staff/gazette the week of publication to [email protected]. DECEMBER 21, 2012 T H E LIBRARY OF CONGRESS GA ZETTE 3 NEWS Turow Explores Future of the Professional Author By Wendi A. Maloney Scott Turow, Robert K. Massie and other writers spoke in the Coolidge Audi- torium on Dec. 11 about the history and future of the professional author. Hosted by the U.S. Copyright Office and co-spon- sored by the Library of Congress’s Center for the Book, the event marked the 100th anniversary of The Authors Guild, which advocates on behalf of writers’ interests. “Since its founding as The Authors League of America in 1912, the guild has played a major role in development of copyright law,” said Maria A. Pallante, register of copyrights and director of the Copyright Office. Past guild president Mary Pope Osborne, author of “The Magic Tree- Cecelia Rogers house” children’s series, said the guild Scott Turow: The rise of digital publishing “pits authors against potential allies.” continues to fight for fair copyright laws and authors’ rights as new technologies their craft, everyone loses, he said, brick-and-mortar stores, he noted. Non- transform publishing. She introduced the because new voices and ideas advance fiction is at particular risk in the online guild’s current president, Scott Turow, democracy. world, where light reading is preferred. writer of “The Burden of Proof,” “Pre- Peter Hildick-Smith of the Codex John Y. Cole, director of the Center for sumed Innocent” and other best-selling Group discussed trends in digital book the Book, described the center’s relation- legal thrillers. publishing, which his company tracks. ship with authors since its founding in He described the future of the literary He called 2012 a “watershed year” in 1977, including its promotion of books scene as “clouded.” which technology firms invested hun- and reading through the National Book The rise of digital publishing is dreds of millions of dollars in book retail- Festival.