Everything is not on the Internet! Much of what is found on the Internet is unpublished, not edited, not refereed, possibly untrustworthy and sometimes flat out incorrect. Connecting to the good stuff requires cash.

The good stuff is typically provided by libraries -- books, journals, documents, newspapers, magazines and reports that are digitized, stored and indexed through online databases. One might access these through the Internet or a search engine. You are still online but you are no longer on the Internet. You are in a library.

Everything from Consumer Reports to the Journal of Molecular Biology costs money. An online subscription to Consumer Reports costs $26 per year. Subscription to an online database of 2,000 scientific resources would cost a university $39,000 annually. A business or laboratory might pay even more for these. Just looking for one or two scientific articles? Pay $30 per article, please.

Everything from the American Journal of Human Genetics to Magazine Antiques to Value Line Investment Survey is available on MARVEL!, Maine's Virtual Library. Every Maine resident can access MARVEL! from a library, school, home, business or office. You may even Google "MARVEL!" to find the link to all the databases offered.

The value of all the resources found in MARVEL! is well over $500,000. No single library, business or individual in Maine could afford this. However, libraries are famous for partnering and collaborating and can squeeze a nickel so hard that it makes Thomas Jefferson holler.

The Maine State Library and the University of Maine system negotiate database pricing and, with the generosity of the Maine State Legislature, jointly pay for MARVEL! It is then offered to all of us as a public benefit.

That benefit is being threatened by the increased costs of information, especially in the physical and life sciences. Since it was created in 2000, funding for MARVEL! has not increased. No new databases could be purchased. Some online resources have been dropped because current funding does not cover increased prices. Maine's premier research facilities and laboratories are in danger of falling behind those in other states because they lack access to databases that would improve their productivity.

The Legislature has an opportunity to ensure that the value of MARVEL! remains first-rate by passing LD 793, An Act to Provide Essential Library Services to All Maine Communities. Additional funding for science databases will keep researchers in Maine competitive with research institutions in other states, many of which are already providing advanced online scientific resources to their residents. Small high-tech businesses will be better able to collaborate with researchers to develop breakthroughs that lead to new business development in Maine.

Every person, library, educational institution and business deserves a level playing field when competing in the knowledge-based economy. It is expensive to provide equal access to information for Maine citizens. Libraries are the most economical and efficient means for statewide delivery of resources.

Dean Corner is director of Reading and Information Services at the Maine State Library in Augusta.