Web-accessible info and library budget reductions?

[Sloan, Bernie]

The February 2002 print issue of American Libraries has a news item
headlined "Washington Governor Proposes Closing State Library."  Of course
the major impetus for the proposal is a massive state budget shortfall, but
the news item contains an interesting quote from the governor's budget
assistant:

"The governor's view is that many agencies are accessing most of their
information online."

I was wondering if anyone knows of other examples where the rationale for a
library budget reduction proposal has been based, at least in part, on this
rationale (i.e., people get a lot of their info via the Web).

Thanks!

Bernie Sloan
Senior Library Information Systems Consultant
University of Illinois Office for Planning and Budgeting
338 Henry Administration Building
506 S. Wright Street
Urbana, IL  61801
Phone: (217) 333-4895
Fax:     (217) 265-0454
E-mail: bernies at uillinois.edu