Health Canada library changes leave scientists scrambling
Main Health Canada research library closed, access outsourced to retrieval company
Health Canada scientists are so concerned about losing access to their research library that they're finding work-arounds, with one squirrelling away journals and books in his basement for colleagues to consult, says a report obtained by CBC News.
The draft report from a consultant hired by the department warned it not to close its library, but the report was rejected as flawed and the advice went unheeded.
Before the main library closed, the inter-library loan functions were outsourced to a private company called Infotrieve, the consultant wrote in a report ordered by the department. The library's physical collection was moved to the National Science Library on the Ottawa campus of the National Research Council last year.
"Staff requests have dropped 90 per cent over in-house service levels prior to the outsource. This statistic has been heralded as a cost savings by senior HC [Health Canada] management," the report said.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/health-canada-library-changes-leave-scientists-scrambling-1.2499217
Jan 20, 2014 5:00 AM ET| Last Updated: Jan 20, 2014 9:04 AM ET
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