From The Library Director:
Do We Still Need a Library?

Someone asked me recently what the Library would be like in five years or would we still even need a Library, since so much information is available online now. I cannot say with any certainty what the Library will be like in five years, but the following is a brief explanation of the sometimes complex issues which the UAMS Library, and other health sciences libraries, are currently facing.

• Much of the world's scientific information is not yet available online. We must continue to purchase many books and journals in print format. Also, many journals which are currently online have huge backfiles of volumes available in print only, and most books are still available only in print.
  
  
• Contrary to popular belief, very few quality publications are available for free. Journals are usually more expensive in online form than in print. While some publishers have started giving us a choice of paying only for print or online access, many are still requiring that we pay for both if we want online access. Most publishers used to have only two prices for their print subscriptions (institutional/library and individual), but they now have a confusing array of pricing schemes for their products. One journal vendor estimates that there are more than 50 pricing schemes currently being used by publishers.

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