Recent events resulting from mergers, takeovers, etc. in industry have clearly indicated that libraries and information units cannot continue to exist by divine right but must justify their existence as viable, essential and economically balanced units. Varying circumstances determine which methods are to be adopted to achieve this and the method described in this paper is not put forward as being possible under all circumstances but as a system operated successfully in the environment of my own company. It should be emphasized that it is not a theoretical view but a practical demonstration of applying a system which has been accepted by management and has survived two merger operations between this company and others.