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Nancy: Everything you said is true, but the issue is old wine in new bottles, as I'm sure you know. This is a battle that has been fought and refought umpty times in the over 25 years I've been in the profession. And it won't be the last, either. It's just that the internet has added a new wrinkle because "everything is on the Internet (NOT). It's all short term, bottomline oriented, and long range planning be damned. That's my take and I'm stuck with it. Lee Hover Information Developers Boonton Twp., NJ 07005 -----Original Message----- From: Medical Libraries Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Washburne,Nancy Sent: Wednesday, January 26, 2005 11:35 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: CHAT: NLM demonstrates their lack of respect for librarians, once again Much wisdom in what you say Joy...however, we have been dragged into an economy that slops right onto all service areas... most hospitals in my area are dominated by administrators who are talking, acting & backing market -driven options:if it doesn't MAKE MONEY it gets shoved aside, marginalized, deleted, say it however you want...in the healthcare delivery business patients are 'customers' and all delivery organizations are competitors fighting for market share. We are seeing profit-making planning, the 3 to 5 year return on investment planning....education and research are cost centers, not profit centers, & to compete you delete your cost centers & maximize your profit centers. What brings quicker & surer return on investment is what gets the floor space, the administrative & personnel attention. It is no surprise that research and education budgets are whittled, libraries starved of funds & cost-cutting is primary. Naturally any institution has to survive...but it is shortsighted planning to slash research & education budgets...because institutions that do this--look around you--are going to see declining research & fewer topnotch- talent professors and aspiring researchers going to places where they TALK about all the support they are GOING to give research while systematically not DOING what they say...in short, starve research, starve educational support & within less than 6 years you will deteriorate appreciably...there needs to be a balance of income-generating services & stringent control of waste & blatant overspending...mixed with 10 to 20 year research objectives, encouragin new intelligence, new ideas, exciting new minds...you need someone on the academic medical team who completely understands academic demands& can cope with market share demands at the same time...hard to find that sort of vision..especially with the complexities of hospital politics, medical school politics & the singlemindedness of many well-meaning administrators. Education is not a frill, libraries are not ruffles & flourishes, & everything is not only NOT on the Internet, what IS there needs to be carefully sorted through to separate the crap from the gold. Regards, Nancy from Temple Director, Radiology Library Temple University Hospital 3401 North Broad Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140 [log in to unmask] fax: 215 707 3261