The President Doesn't Get It.(2002 budget does not reflect reality of library needs)(Brief Article)

Despite all the speculation about their usefulness in the face of the Internet, libraries are more popular than ever. Despite all the fear and outrage over what open access means for children, libraries remain hospitable and effective learning environments essential to formal education, distance education, and lifelong learning. New research from the Urban Libraries Council shows (see p. 58) that three out of every four users of the Internet also use libraries.

So why doesn't the proposed 2002 federal budget President Bush unveiled to the nation April 9 reflect this reality? As we go to press, the first round of the annual struggle to establish a budget has begun, and the news …