· My formula is “E-govt + the FDLP = The Future”. This means that we keep the FDLP more or less as it is now—adjusting it for the 21^st century, tinkering with it here and there--and add E-government services to what we do. We don’t get rid of the FDLP and we offer E-government services. My formula is a “Both…And” statement.

· That said, it will be public libraries in the FDLP that offer more E-government services to library customers simply because the public is used to using public libraries, not academic libraries.

· But most public libraries in the FDLP don’t maintain historic collections. Of all the libraries in the FDLP, they weed their collections the most, and send customers who need historic information to FDLP collections in academic libraries.

· Perhaps someday the bulk of federal government information will be A) digitized on B) online systems that are easy to use and will be C) free to use. But until that day historic collections need to be perceived as important legacy collections not to be attacked by extensive, not well thought-out weeding just to create space in a library for another purpose.

· Beware of anyone who says “E-government has replaced the FDLP” or “Every library is a depository now”. They don’t know that most historic federal information isn’t available online. And what is available isn’t always available via easily used software and/or isn’t free for everyone.

· Beware of anyone who says “The FDLP is enough, and is separate from
E-government”. They don’t realize how important E-government is for the people of our nation, and how important it will be during the rest of this century as its use grows exponentially.

· Who knows better E-government websites better than FDLP librarians? Who better to be the reference providers of E-government information to library customers? Who better to train other types of librarians, public librarians in particular, about how to provide E-government services? If we adopt this outlook the future of the FDLP and E-government services is immense.