Byte the bullet: unfunded mandate for US government information in electronic formats

The migration to electronic information strains tight budgets for public and academic libraries. The unfunded mandate by the United States federal government to provide free access to electronic information requires patience, creativity and a new way of thinking about information delivery in the transition to networked information environments. The example of one federal government depository library, Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD and the writer’s personal experience as a government documents online researcher at Congressional Quarterly Inc., US News & World Report and as an independent contractor, provides a microcosmic example for library managers to consider to plan for the transition from print materials to electronic information for patrons.