In any event, ALF materials will be able to be retrieved on demand and delivered to patrons on a daily basis. But not being able to lay hands on a book is only the most obvious access issue. In McAfee's view, enclosing fragile old volumes in protective boxes on the library's open shelves can be similarly problematic. But if you open the box, you find the pages are falling out. I feel bad for the user.
Psychology plays a significant role in questions of preservation and access.
Take microfilm, for example. McAfee tells the story of a historian at a university where she worked in the mid-1990s. I said, 'Well, you know, we have those books on microfilm. They're right there. And he said, 'Oh, I know.