UPDATED (Nov. 17):
I received word from the Library and the Dean of HSS that the CJDS subscription will be maintained. Thanks to everyone who took the time to voice your support for keeping the journal.
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My readers who are faculty and students at MUN are well aware of the ongoing round of cuts to academic journal subscriptions that are being pursued by the MUN library to cut costs.
Reviewing the most recent list of proposed cuts, I was dismayed to see the Canadian Journal of Development Studies (CJDS) remained on the chopping block despite the fact that it is the flagship journal of the sole academic association for development studies in Canada (CASID) and that its subscription rate is quite modest compared to many other titles.
I had previsouly encouraged the library to retain the CJDS for these and other reasons, but it appears that there may not have been a critical mass of researchers and students vouching for this important interdiscplinary title.
As an institition without a dedicated development studies program, it will become even more difficult at Memorial to teach and research using the most current Canadian development research if this subscription is cancelled.
I ask all those of you who are involved in development-related research at MUN, even peripherally, to voice support to retain the CJDS directly to the library, to your departmental library rep, and to the Dean’s office in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Here are some e-mail addresses to include in your correspondence:
- Alison Ambi (Library – managing journal subscription review): aambi@mun.ca
- Susan Cleyle (Chief Librarian): scleyle@mun.ca
- Lynne Philipps (Dean of HSS): lphillips@mun.ca
It is important for development scholars at MUN to show the library that we require key resources to pursue our research and teaching at the highest level, even if we are relatively few in number.