Re: MDConsult & numerous other examples

I am interested in your multiple opinions. How does one define a journal subscription in this day and age?
Why am I asking? For the last couple of years I have it in my head that I lost $25,000 of my hospital's funds due
to the divine/Rowecom/Faxon fiasco. I now continually see numerous complaints from colleagues (e.g.
Julie Stielstra's message) regarding loss of access to electronic journals. These journals were paid
for by the library who now has nothing to show for the cash handed over. Should these librarians not have the
same guilty conscience that I have? Why is everyone so ready to pay for something that they do not know the
future of? What is the difference between this and losing money in a bankruptcy? 

But if a journal subscription means that you have the title for one year only, maybe then all is well. Is this
what we have now come to? If so, would someone please make it official with all our superiors.

Just for the record, I have to date not cancelled a single print title in favour of electronic only - for the
above reasons. My collection is getting smaller by the minute but at least I can sleep at night. 

Pamela Ben-Eliezer
Shaare Zedek Medical Library
Jerusalem, Israel
ben-el@...

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