IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA

AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION,

:

CIVIL ACTION

INC., et al.

:

:

v.

:

:

UNITED STATES, et al.

:

NO. 01 1303

MULTNOMAH COUNTY PUBLIC

:

CIVIL ACTION

LIBRARY, et al.

:

:

v.

:

:

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, et al. :

NO. 01 1322

Before: BECKER, Chief Circuit Judge,

FULLAM and BARTLE, District Judges.

OPINION OF THE COURT

May 31, 2002

Becker, Chief Circuit Judge

I.

Preliminary Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

II.

Findings of Fact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

A.

Statutory Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

1.

Nature and Operation of the E rate and LSTA Programs . . . . . . . 17

2.

CIPA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

a.

CIPA's Amendments to the E rate Program . . . . . . . . . . . 19

b.

CIPA's Amendments to the LSTA Program . . . . . . . . . . . 22

B.

Identity of the Plaintiffs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

1.

Library and Library Association Plaintiffs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

2.

Patron and Patron Association Plaintiffs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

3.

Web Publisher Plaintiffs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

C.

The Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

1.

Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28