(Apr 26/11) I was informed that the journals shelved on the second floor will be transferred to storage over the summer. Obviously this will make those resources less easily accessible. I understand that the space may be renovated to benefit students and their research, yet this change seems counter productive. I would like to suggest that the journals not be put into storage; perhaps an alternative shelving strategy can be looked into.
Library response: Thank you for taking the time to let us know your thoughts on moving the journals from the second floor of Thode. I certainly understand your concern about maintaining access to these volumes. Balancing the need for increased user space with space for collections is a challenge facing nearly all university libraries. The second floor of Thode will become much needed study space for McMaster students. Many of our journals are now received online as electronic resources, with only the older issues remaining in paper. The back issues of a journal are, of course, still important to research. When possible, the Library acquires online backfiles in order to provide direct and immediate access to the content of older issues. In cases where we do not have stable, ongoing electronic access to the older volumes, the Library will continue to provide access to these materials in print. Relocating the print journal volumes within the building at Thode has been part of the Thode renovation planning process over the past several years, and was itself a result of public meetings regarding the renovations. The journals are not being moved off-site and will remain physically located at Thode. We have posted a review of the planning process on our website at http://library.mcmaster.ca/news/8806. Any print journal volumes that you need following their relocation can be requested online (http://library.mcmaster.ca/php/storage_thode.php?status=noncirc) and will be retrieved for you within one weekday of your request. Please feel free to contact me directly if you have additional questions. (May 19/11)
Answered by: Wade Wyckoff (Associate University Librarian, Collections)
Answered by: Wade Wyckoff (Associate University Librarian, Collections)