Today I visited the biology library and the economic sciences library. Again, both of these libraries had closed stacks (books and periodicals). The biology library consisted of a room with tables and a counter with one computer access to the catalogue and a place to ask for the books you need. There was another room where you could access the periodicals collection. There was perhaps 70 current journals that were out on the shelves. The retrospective collection and donated journals were in closed stacks. No browsing allowed. In the periodicals room, there were 2 computers with internet access, but you needed permission to use the computers. There doesn’t seem to be access to electronic journals. Internet use is simply for doing research on the internet.
The biology library has just created their webpage, but I don’t think it’s online yet. I may have a chance to look at in the coming days. I had a chance to look at the closed stacks of the book collection of the biology library. Half of the collection consisted of rare books and pre 1950’s books. I was told that these books were used, but that they intended to convert this part of the collection into a museum.
The economic science library had more computers, but again, no one was using them because you need to ask permission to use them, and according to the man at the desk, they are very slow and not very reliable. This library had both the DOS catalogue and the Windows version of the catalogue that was a little more user friendly. However, the card catalogue was also still in use. Apparently, this library has a website, but it seems to be down at the moment, so I cannot access it.
I hope to have a closer look at some of the libraries in the coming days or weeks… and when my spanish improves, I hope to be able to give explanations that are more than just what I am seeing as I walk through the libraries.
October 14th, 2005 at 4:55 pm
University librarians in Argentina still believe that the books in libraries are like some pieces in a museum: they must “conserve” them forever…. This is the reason of the closed stocks: they are afraid that the students, the readers, the users, can damage the volumes. Prehistoric? You bet….
You can find this fear to the hands of the users in several public libraries, and in several popular libvraries as well. However, some libraries are opening their stocks, but this means that they need security systems, and, in this country, they are expensive. And, if we don´t have money for books or for paying good wages to librarians (or even to University teachers…) how could we but such systems?
Anyway… maybe Argentinian librarians need better professor in Universities. We need a change of mind, a change of perspective, a change in the points of view. A little bit of “left wing ideas”. But these ideas are seen as “sins” here, a country who is still scared by the “desaparecidos” of the “dirty war” during the 70`s, and which is full of peple who prefer to look what`s happening in Europe instead of looking what`s happening in the next quarter (full of favelas, for sure).
Computers and Internet in libraries? In University? Databases? Uffff… As an academic librarian, my higher wage has been 250 american dollars (the rent of my tiny, destroyed appartment is about 100 american dollars). No money for libraries… No money for librarians… No money for LIS school (= no new professors = no new ideas = prehistory in training = ufffff…..).
Some of us are struggling for a lot of good and new ideas. But we get tired very soon, because we have to fight against our colleagues. Funny, isn`t it? But you can be sure that, after a couple of trials, I`ve said to myself “f… them !!!”.
Greetings from warm Cordoba, Argentina