Problems of Open Access in Large Academic Libraries

When Archbishop Lanfranc drew up the rules for the Benedictine Order in England in 1070 A.D., he made specific reference to libraries and the access to books. What he said is still relevant in its essence and is worth recalling: "On the Monday after the first Sunday in Lent, before Brethren come into the Chapter House, the librarian shall have a carpet laid down and all the books got together upon it, except those which the year previous had been assigned for reading. These the, Brethren are to bring with them, when they come into the Chapter House, each his book in his band. Then the librarian shall read a Statement äs to the manner in which Brethren have had books during the past year. As each brother hears his name pronounced, he is to give back the book which had been entrusted to him for reading; and he whose conscience accuses him of not having read through the book which he had received, is to fall on his face, confess his fault, and entreat forgiveness. The librarian shall then make a fresh distribution of books, namely a different volume to each brother for his reading." Clearly the librarian was more than a custodian, a curator of books, an archivist. He was also concerned to make books available to readers and was so much involved in the education of the Brethren äs to allocate reading. He was, äs he still is in monastic orders, a brother of scholarly Standing, an intellectual leader. There are librarians who strive to maintain this attitude to their work, although with the unprecedented growth in Stocks and readership, it is becoming virtually impossible to exercise any intimate sort of influence at the general reader level in any type of library, except the very small. The specific reduction in contact with the reader which is usually contingent upon the introduction of open access was one of the prime reasons advanced by the German "Volksbuchereien" in their resistance to open access. The valuable influence of the librarian in directing the readers' tastes, the disciplined approach to reading resulting from such librarian/reader confrontations, these important considerations prevailed until the post-Second World