[Taxacom] Journals / papers collection

[Mark O'Shea]

I am sorry Peter but I have to disagree that paper copies are not worth keeping.

Yes pdfs are highly portable, I certainly agree with that because whilst I used to head into the field for 2-3months with a stack of (at that time non-duplex printed) papers for as reference material, now I simply update my sizeable pdf library with anything I need on the Mac laptop (and back it up to a Lacie 1TB Rugged Safe portable external drive).

But there is something special about  early museum separates and journals. My collection goes back to the late 19th - early 20th C, my US museum separates library alone taking up some 9 feet on two shelves, with smaller collections from European, Asian, African, S.America museums etc. 
It is a thrill to be working through a paper, come across an old citation and think "I'm sure I have that on my shelves" and then pull down an original paper from 1912 or 1930. Breck Bartholomew at Bibliomania will tell you I was an avid purchaser of old papers by Taylor, Brongersma, Boulenger and others. Many of my original papers came from the libraries of the great and the good in herpetology and bear their signatures and dedications, even corrections in the margins.
To keep track of what I have in my library I have listed them all in Endnote so it only takes a few seconds to check if I have an important paper on my shelves or whether I need to go searching for an online pdf. 

And talking about pdfs, is it just me or do others still prefer to read a print copy, albeit A4 off the laser printer, than a pdf on the computer display. It is a lot easier to flick through a hard copy, scribble in the margins and fold over corners - not that I would do that with my prized original reprints and separates of course.

So I think there is a place and a purpose for each of these formats, computer pdf, original paper and printed pdf.
It will be a sad day indeed when we are all reduced to cyper-papers and hard copy journals and papers disappear, literally into the ether.

Mark O'Shea
Herpetologist with 30 years tropical fieldwork experience and herpetological bibliophile