Letter: Proposed cut would cripple info access

Friday, May 26, 2000 | 9:28 a.m.

This letter is to inform you and your readers of a grave situation regarding public access to U.S. government information. On May 9 the House Appropriations Committee passed an appropriations bill for legislative branch agencies that included a 61 percent cut for the Salaries and Expenses budget of the Government Printing Office.

These proposed budget cuts to GPO will cripple the operation of the Federal Depository Library Program, a program devoted to providing no-fee public access to federal government information.

Since 1959 the UNLV Library has served as the main federal depository to Clark County. Many people visit depository libraries to find jobs, do homework, start small businesses and learn what their government is doing.

The language of this bill eliminates the need for any print publications with the idea that most Americans can access the Internet and download the information they require. While this idea may be noteworthy, many citizens in Clark County and elsewhere do not have access to the Internet at home. In fact, many of our users cannot afford to print out pages of materials, so they come to us for assistance.

This proposed budget cut will virtually eliminate our ability to provide access for the public to information related to laws, court cases, budget information and executive agency reports. I ask that you and your readers today request full funding of the legislative branch appropriations by contacting our congressional delegation.

KENNETH MARKS Dean of Libraries, UNLV

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