DEPOSITORY LIBRARIES AND THE ECONOMICS OF ELECTRONIC INFORMATION: Part 1

The Federal Document Depository Program still appears to be locked in print even though an increasing amount of federal information is available electronically. But, since electronic formats offer significant improvement over print products — albeit at greater cost — library managers are beginning to explore the possibility of investing in them. Obviously, if depository libraries accept electronic documents, the pattern of costs and benefits for libraries and users is likely to change. The role and structure of the depository program will have to be re‐examined. The important function that the program has played in informing our citizenry about laws, pending legislation, regulatory policies, and other government activities may shift considerably. Congress and libraries therefore need to re‐think the assumptions that underlay the Document Depository Library Program; it may be necessary to introduce some new ground rules for its operation.