In message
<[log in to unmask]> on
Mon, 8 Nov 2004, Satu Nieminen <[log in to unmask]> wrote
>Quite a while ago the British Library took over the LA book collection
>and now houses them at St Pancras. This means all CILIP members get a
>reader's pass to BL by showing their membership card - no questions
>asked. I think this provides CILIP members with some compensation for
>not having a dedicated LIS at CILIP.

Yes, some compensation, but presumably it's not too hard to get a BL
card for professional use of this kind whether you are a CILIP member or
not.

However the BL facility has major disadvantages compared with the
previous LA library:

(1) Lack of a lending service.
When studying a subject, or writing a paper, it is very convenient to
have relevant publications on my desk so that I can refer to them
together with my own materials, while accessing Internet resources. The
cost and delay in obtaining things from DSC makes this option
impracticable; besides, you cannot see items first to decide whether
they are worth borrowing.

(2) Closed access collection
When reviewing a subject, I come across lots of references which might
be relevant or interesting, but I cannot tell from the titles and
abstracts, if any. I need to skim quickly through back files of many
different publications, checking the articles and selecting those I wish
to read in more detail. Many other references come to light during this
process, and these also have to be retrieved and assessed. This is
impossibly cumbersome with a closed access collection where I have to
wait a significant time for the delivery of each item.

A solution would be to transfer the library and information science
collections to the science reading rooms rather than the humanities
reading rooms. The science rooms are less heavily used, and they have a
tradition of providing much more material on open access, because
scientists use journals in the way I have indicated above. I do wish
that the BL would consider this. Calling it "information science" would
provide further justification, if any were needed!

(3) Reasonably priced photocopying service
The cost of photocopying at the BL (22.7p per self-service A4 copy for
small quantities) is so high as to be a significant deterrent to use.
This makes me occupy space in an already overcrowded reading room,
laboriously copying notes on pieces of information and references that
might be useful when I come to digest what I have found.

>I cannot comment on the usefulness of the information service now
>provided at CILIP premises as I have never used it.

The new members' information centre is comfortable and convenient; I
haven't used the information service, because as a professional in this
field I feel more comfortable having direct access to sources I can use
myself rather than working through intermediaries. The collection of
books is growing, though there don't appear to be plans to keep full
back runs of periodicals, which will be frustrating. Nevertheless this
does seem to be the thin end of the wedge towards rediscovering the
value of a proper library for members, and I do hope that members who
value it will press for its further development. It is certainly one of
the things that would make me willing to continue to pay my CILIP
subscription . . .

Leonard Will
--
Willpower Information       (Partners: Dr Leonard D Will, Sheena E Will)
Information Management Consultants              Tel: +44 (0)20 8372 0092
27 Calshot Way, Enfield, Middlesex EN2 7BQ, UK. Fax: +44 (0)870 051 7276
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