Re: FBI's reading list worries librarians

[David Goodman <dgoodman@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>]

I, like many science librarians, have had experience operating branch
libraries where the faculty (and sometimes other users) of the library
were permitted key access after hours.  In at least the chemistry library
I operated, the loss rate was rather high, we changed the lock over bitter
faculty opposition, put in a primitive security system, and found the loss
rate dropped to one-tenth.

At first sight, my account contradicts my own suggestion, but this was
within a system that was otherwise controlled.  In other libraries I used
as a biologist that operated on this system, the loss rate did not seem
high to me (key material was always there when looked for), but I don't
know those situations from the librarian's point of view. Obviously, much
will depend on the size and cohesion of the local setting. The real
difficulty with experimenting with such a scheme, is the inconvenience,
difficulty and time of replacing the material, however small in
quantity--the expense isn't necessarily the worst part.

But when the ability to produced printed copies of books on demand with
reasonable capital and operating costs becomes practical both technically
and environmentally, I think this can provide a real alternative, provided
a fair scheme for compensation can be devised. Again, the key benefit
isn't financial, but the continual presence of all needed material. Note
that this is essentially the system we have for journals already. And some
e-book schemes come pretty close.

Dr. David Goodman
Biological Sciences Bibliographer
Princeton University Library
dgoodman@princeton.edu