We are so lucky to have such rich library resources. Here academics wanting to study Canadian or American literature are met with constant frustration. They have some books in their library, and as I have written here before, the collection of Canadian titles is small but well chosen. The Canadian Ambassador has also made some funds available to buy more books. [Excellent work, Ambassador Ed Loughlin.] But access to journal articles is a joke. Google Scholar can only take a researcher so far. The library has a subscription to Project Muse, but it is the meanest version. Colleagues here tell me that they find sources but then can’t access them—one says it’s like getting a candy but only being permitted to lick the wrapper. They get a title, maybe an abstract, but not the article itself. Think of the ease with which I, and others in Canada, download full-text pdfs of recent journal articles! For us it’s routine.
I have been talking to graduate students and faculty members about their research, trying to point them in useful directions, but I can see the frustration. I can feel it. Whatever I tell them about they might not be able to find. Academics have to travel to somewhere that has a good library. One is applying for a Fulbright so that she can go to the US. Another has won a faculty enrichment grant to spend a month in Canada doing research. But travel is expensive; grants are difficult to win.
But me? Even here, through the UW library website and with my magic library barcode number, I have my hands on riches. Yes, I am sharing the wealth, to whatever extent possible. And I am thankful. I will certainly never take my access to library resources for granted again.
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