Sir, Robert Poole’s statement that “already in Manchester University, journals of the quality of Past and Present are missing from the shelves to make way for student computer terminals” (letter, Feb 7) is misleading.
We have a complete set of the printed journal up to 2003, when we began to receive it in full-text electronic form. We have no plans to dispose of the printed copies, the most recent of which are on the open shelves and the remainder in store but available on request at any time. We do not unreservedly support the concept of a national research reserve.
This institution takes pride in its role as one of the UK’s great research libraries. The terminals mentioned are vehicles through which we provide access to the best array of electronic resources of any university in the UK to all members of the academic community. They have enabled us to enhance rather than diminish what we provide in print.
Perhaps the fact that Dr Poole makes the journey from his own institution in Lancaster to use our resources in Manchester tells the real story.
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BILL SIMPSON
University Librarian and Director of the John Rylands Library
University of Manchester
Sir, The idea that libraries are pulping their journals (and books in funny languages, like German) is alarming. Journal papers, like London buses, travel in convoys; find one, and another is often alongside. Then, errata appear a few issues later, perhaps in another volume. And some journals run discussions of their papers, sometimes for as long as two years from the original publication. Practically none of that can be found by form-filling and hoping.
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PETER SMART
Glasgow
Sir, In the excellent libraries here at the University of Exeter, we are very fortunate to have a wide range of journals available to borrow, many of which date back as far as the 1950s or earlier.
However, the removal of some of the older journals from the libraries is not intended to be an act of destruction. The older journals are to be placed on internet access services such as JSTOR and Ingenta, which are easily accessible, thus freeing up space for newer journals on the shelves.
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Such access services require a subscription fee, but in my opinion the service is worth the money, whether one accesses them via an institution or personal subscription.
I believe this is known as a “win-win” proposition.
BIANCA SUMMONS
2nd-year student, Exeter