From: Bernadine Abbott Hoduski [mailto: ber_at_initco.net]
The full House Appropriations Committee voted today, May 9, 2000, to
drastically cut the funding for the depository program.
They argued that the program could function as a totally
electronic program. This in spite of the fact
the thousands of publications in the program are not in
electronic form and will not be since many of them are maps,
reports and other publicatins not suitable for electronic format.
This will mean that depository libraries will not
receive paper editions of the US Code, Federal Register,
Congressional Record, CFR, hearings, reports, documents and
many other publications. This will be the end of a permanent
record of government activities and publications in depository
libraries unless libraries buy the publications or receive one
of the few copies that the publishing agencies may have in
paper. Most of these publications are not sold.
If we learned nothing else from the recent virus attacks it is the
fragility of our data bases and our access to them. The
future of research and knowledge about our government is at stake.
Please email, fax, call or write your Member of the House asp.
Send info on to other list serves, library directors,
trustees, friends of libraries, newspaper reporters and editors, public
interest groups and anyone else who needs long term access to government
information. The press and the public do not understand the meaning
of this action. It is a good guess that many of those who will be
voting on this bill do not understand it either.
Bernadine, GODORT, ALA Council
Bernadine Abbott Hoduski
Government Information Advisor
100 N. Lamborn,
Helena, Montana
406-449-9974
Received on Wed May 10 2000 - 10:04:02 EDT