Hampshire, England proposing to end access to digital reference works

Question

This is for any English WT members who use Hampshire Library services for online content.

Like a number of English local Councils, Hampshire Council, England currently provides library members with free digital access to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and other online reference works. As part of a cost-saving exercise for its library services, the Council is proposing to end this. There is currently a 10-week consultation period. You can give your views either online at survey or by picking up a consultation document at a library.

Meanwhile, if you access the ODNB or other reference works online via Hampshire Libraries, it might be sensible to copy to your computer entries for any people in whom you have a special interest. This is legal: you are allowed to keep copies of copyright material for personal use (and personal use only - not for sharing).

With local English Councils desperately looking for cost savings to stay within tight budgets, this may be part of a trend - other local Councils may follow if they haven't already done this.

Answer 1

Thanks fot highlighting this Michael.

I currently access ODNB through the National Library of Wales and access to these resources can be variable.

Answer 2

This is sad news and I hope it doesn't become final, but fear it will. Thanks for letting us know about it Michael.

Comments

I am personally fortunate in that I have online access to these works via another institution.

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I used to, via the University of Strathclyde. :-)

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I am personally unfortunate that I don't have online access to these resources

Answer 3

Ah. They promised me personally that there would always be access to ODNB online when they removed the DNB from the shelves of my local library. Seems there's a general trend in this country to make education harder to come by.