University Libraries at a Crossroads: Interview with Jean-Philippe Lachenaud

Author of a Senate report on the situation of university libraries, Jean-Philippe Lachenaud notes a very clear improvement in the French situation some years after the alarming findings of the Miquel report. In the context of the growing autonomy of universities, which he judges normal, he nevertheless draws attention to the risks of unequal development according to location or to the demands of professional training for personnel. Pleading that virtual libraries do not result in overlooking the importance of welcoming locations and abundant material collections, for researchers as well as students, he would like the financial and organizational efforts to be pursued in a voluntary fashion.
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