BC-Nature-Spring-2014-web-final

The Last Word
By Eric Marshall
"Libricide" in Federal Government Departments
Libraries are being closed , "consolidated" is the term used, in many Federal Government Departments – Environment,
Natural Resources and Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to mention only a few. The word ‘libricide’ has been coined for this
breaking up of the carefully collected intellectual property in these libraries. It has been compared to the Romans destroying
the Royal Library in Alexandria.
DFO had nine libraries, one in each of its research laboratories and one in Ottawa. Seven of these are being ‘consolidated’
into the libraries in Sidney, BC, and in Dartmouth, NS. Among those being closed is the Eric Marshall Aquatic Research Library
in the Freshwater Institute in Winnipeg. This is the only library in DFO concentrating on freshwater research materials. It was
widely recognized as the best of its type in North America. The libraries in Nanaimo and St. Andrew’s, New Brunswick are
two of the oldest in DFO and held many historic items. The library in St. John’s, Newfoundland, had a world class collection
of marine material. Volumes from all of these libraries have been moved to either Dartmouth or Sidney leaving research scientists
elsewhere with no library on site. It is argued that most of the material needed is available online but these libraries
contained old material which has not been digitized. When needed, this material will be have to be mailed or faxed on request;
after a delay and assuming the material in question did not get lost in the moves. Most scientists agree that they frequently
have to print out part or all of an article being read online; it is difficult to flip back to a chart or diagram while reading text a
page or so further on which refers to that chart. If the printed copy is available it is so easy to flip pages.
I spent 25 years building up the library in Winnipeg and now it has been broken up; granted some volumes have been shipped
to Sidney. Many volumes were lost when the doors were opened to anyone who wished to take them; a local consulting company
took truckloads of material. Clearly valuable material has gone; was it all material that was already in Sidney? This was
a unique collection that should not have been broken up. It was on the Fort Garry Campus of the University of Manitoba and
functioned closely with the University library system. The Institute library should have been offered to that system because
the Freshwater Institute was established on the University Campus to the mutual advantage of both organizations.
The Minister has claimed that a total of only about 10 non-DFO people use all of the DFO libraries each year. In Winnipeg
we used to have that many each week!
All of these closures are making it more difficult for the research scientists remaining in DFO to work efficiently. Many projects
have been closed, including the famous Experimental Lakes Area. This was rescued at the eleventh hour by the International
Centre for Sustainable Research in Winnipeg with support from the Ontario Government. DFO staff working there
received their pink slips and any new staff will not have the Institute library to use.
The Fisheries Act has also been gutted. The government’s plan appears to be to exploit our natural resources quickly and
that science will only get in the way of this by pointing out potential environmental damage.
Join us for:
Pelagic Seabirds of
the Canadian Pacific
Sunday, May 11th, 2014
WildResearch, a Vancouver based non-profit group, is organizing a
fundraising event to raise money for its conservation programs. The
event will be a 7hr pelagic birding trip that sails from Ucluelet, BC aboard
the MV Frances Barkley to La Perouse Bank.
Come aboard and enjoy the experience!
A great opportunity to view seabirds that are rarely seen from shore.
Complete with indoor cafeteria and washrooms, this large and stable
vessel should offer stunning viewing and photographic opportunities.
Visit www.wildresearch.ca for details about the trip.
Michael Ashbee
BCnature Spring 2014 39