A scientist's view of print versus online

The aim of the MAFF Slough Laboratory is to achieve the safer storage of cereals and foodstuffs by minimising their infestation by insects, mites and fungi. The work involves novel research in diverse areas so there is a relatively large need for searching the literature. The library facilities at the Slough Laboratory are second to none for the majority of staff, who are biologists, but costs dictate that they are less satisfactory for the smaller number of chemists. The provision of an online terminal has been of benefit to workers in both disciplines, though particularly to the chemists. Nevertheless, when the suggestion was made recently that our library no longer needed to purchase certain journals in printed form, I objected strongly. In this paper I attempt to explain my reasons for these objections.