I have been in Argentina only a week now. I have quickly visited 3 libraries at the Universidad Nacional de Cordoba. The libraries I saw were mostly closed stacks, and this seems to be the norm in all the libraries of the University. But my shock was much greater when I saw the catalogue. The library is using a UNESCO database called CDS/ISIS. The version that the library has is a DOS Version. Yes… DOS. The catalogue is also accompanied by a card catalogue, since apparently it is not very easy to find the books that one is looking for. There is no Internet connection in the libraries. Some libraries also have an EBSCO subscription, but I was not able to access a computer to see what databases they have, and if it is simply a network (local) database. (but I have a feeling that it is).
It was very disheartening, and mostly, it made me take a step back and think of all our efforts in North America for better database or catalogue interfaces, better library webpages, more information literacy, better overall access to our collections (digital or physical). It seems, in light of what I saw, so far removed from the reality of librarianship here in Argentina.
Should universities in North America adopt a library in South America? Should we double our efforts in pushing open access? Should we help push for wireless technology and access in South America (it can be cheap and easy) to have internet in campus libraries. I know there are many people who talk about this, who work towards this. But here in Cordoba, the need for all this and more is quite alarming.
In other news at the University, the professors and the students are now in the middle of negotiations with the government for better wages and the continuation of free schooling. I was told that professors earn between 60 and 150$ US a month. You can hardly survive in Cordoba on that type of salary.