Commerce's proposal includes transferring NTIS' paper, microfiche and digital collection and bibliographic database to the Library of Congress.

CNN: Reducing the public's access to tech info

Simply telling agencies to post documents to the Web is not enough, said Ken Allen, chairman of the NTIS advisory board.

CNN: Reducing the public's access to tech info

Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) said about two-thirds of NTIS documents requested by the public are three years old and not available on the Internet.

CNN: Reducing the public's access to tech info

However, Michael DiMario, public printer at the Government Printing Office, thinks closing NTIS could make it more challenging for the public to find government documents.

CNN: Reducing the public's access to tech info

He also questioned whether closing NTIS makes sense at all.

CNN: Reducing the public's access to tech info

It is essential that NTIS' basic functions and services continue whether it is at NTIS or another government organization, said Caroline Long, associate university librarian for collection services at the Gelman Library at George Washington University.

CNN: Reducing the public's access to tech info