After the recent release of the University’s Library Task Force Report, some humanities professors and graduate students have expressed concern over the document’s suggestion that the Harvard University library system may need to limit future expansion.
The report, which was released on November 12, suggested that the library system unite its 73 different libraries under a common administrative structure and rely more on digital files than on physical books. The report stated that the system can no longer hope to collect all books in every field and must begin prioritizing its acquisitions.
“We shouldn’t pretend that we are maintaining excellence,” said Classics Professor Richard F. Thomas. “The fact is, ownership is really the only way of getting access to most of these materials.”
Members of the Classics Department, which relies heavily on old books for its scholarship, were particularly concerned about the proposed changes.
Source: Harvard Crimson
See Also: Full Text: Reforming Harvard’s Library System is the Subject of New Task Force Report (November 13, 2009)
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