An alternative to data reduction is data compression. When deciding on a data compression system, however, question the process very carefully. Before taking radical steps to move a collection to a new carrier because of lack of space, it is worth considering the real cost of the space used against the other costs of running the facility. 2.3 Access The rows and ranks of shelves in a well run library are impressive. They do not, however, provide easy access for large numbers of people.
Many large institutions require researchers to apply for the right to enter the premises at all.
Once admitted, the researcher then has to search a card index or data base to make a list of likely items of information. Often, an employee of the library has to then fetch the required information for the researcher - it not possible to browse the shelves. If the information is at a remote storage facility, it may take several hours, if not days, before it is actually available to the researcher. A digitised collection can be examined from a standard computer terminal. The existing reading desks can be modified by adding a suitable computer.