Harvard Crimson: “Faculty Question Future of Libraries”
From The Harvard Crimson:
Since the process of streamlining and centralizing Harvard’s 73 libraries began in the spring of 2009, several positions in collections have become vacant, and other key posts remain unfilled. According to the Harvard College Library’s internal directories, Harvard currently has two active collectors responsible for English language acquisitions, down from three in academic year 2008-2009. Additionally, Harvard currently employs one bibliographic specialist for books in French, Italian, German, Dutch, and major Scandinavian languages—a job that has been filled by up to three separate collectors in the past.
Faculty also expressed concerns over the difficulties associated with integrating more digital media into the library system. Post-reorganization statistics suggest a shift in focus to online materials. While the number of hard copy titles in the library system grew by 2% between fiscal year 2009 and 2010, the number of “e-resources” grew by 64%, according to a 2010 report published by the library system.
Read the Complete Article for More Including Comments from Two Faculty Members
About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.
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