A microform policy to reduce the physical growth of industrial libraries

It is an irrefutable fact that all libraries, no matter what their size, will eventually run into storage problems. The solution may be, as with the British Library, to build more and more storage facilities at the cost of millions of pounds. However, for industrial libraries a request for more and more storage space is not a solution which is likely to be well received by higher management, especially as the cost of floor space in buildings escalates. Therefore, another answer must be found. This paper discusses a policy which has been adopted in the libraries of the Research Division of Beecham Pharmaceuticals. The policy involves the extensive use of microfiche holdings of journals in the libraries; to the surprise of many people this has not generated adverse reaction from the customers. The policy does not stop the library stock from growing but substantially reduces the rate of growth. It is not achieved, however, without an overall increase in cost which must be set against the alternative cost of additional storage space.