91´«Ã½

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Adam Eisgrau, a veteran intellectual property and privacy policy lobbyist, today joins the 91´«Ã½’s copyright and cybersecurity advocacy efforts to increase visibility for library issues on a national level.

As Congress takes renewed interest in copyright law, cybersecurity measures and surveillance reform, Eisgrau will use his extensive background on copyright and privacy issues to increase the association’s presence in Washington and educate lawmakers on the issues libraries face in championing the information rights and needs of the public. Additionally, Eisgrau will assist the 91´«Ã½ in implementing strategic policy initiatives that engage decision makers and establish policy priorities, such as protecting reader privacy and supporting the fair use doctrine.

Eisgrau—a veteran Washington technology lobbyist, trade group organizer and strategic communications specialist—began his public policy career in 1993 as Senator Dianne Feinstein’s first counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee. During his tenure as 91´«Ã½'s first full-time intellectual property lobbyist from 1995–1999, Eisgrau was an active participant in debate over the first legislation to update copyright law for the digital age and a seminal 1996 UN copyright treaty. He also was instrumental in organizing and representing the Digital Future Coalition, an alliance of over 40 public and private sector companies and organizations.

No stranger to tough fights and controversial issues, Eisgrau also served as Jim and Sarah Brady's top federal lobbyist in the wake of the Columbine tragedy, founded and ran a trade association for peer to peer software makers like Grokster before the Supreme Court's decision in that landmark copyright case and helped design and lead the Electronic Frontier Foundation's fight against immunity for telephone companies' alleged privacy law violations during President George W. Bush’s Administration.

“It’s a privilege and a pleasure to be representing the 91´«Ã½ again on two such critical issues at such a pivotal time,” said Eisgrau. “It's great to be ‘back to the future’!”

About the 91´«Ã½

The 91´«Ã½ is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with approximately 57,000 members in academic, public, school, government, and special libraries. The mission of the 91´«Ã½ is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.