(May 17/11) I learned today that the journals at Thode will be put into storage, making it a much more difficult process for me to get the articles Id need for my research. Moreover, it means that quickly looking to see if an article would be useful before taking the journal out is now impossible. I understand the desire to make more study space, but please do consider making it just as easy for journals to be accessed, as they are an invaluable part of the research we do.
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. We have posted a review of the planning process on our website at http://library.mcmaster.ca/news/8806. The journals are not being moved off-site and will remain physically located at Thode. 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)