The publisher is only willing to make available a version containing just the Brief Communications, Articles, and Letters to Nature section, but not the Opinion, News, Book Reviews, and News and Views sections, which will be available only after a three month delay. In contrast, the entire journal is available immediately online to personal subscribers. This delay in publication of this widely read and time sensitive material in the institutional online edition defeats the very purpose of electronic journals, and of the library, which is to make material available as widely as possible on equal terms to all members of the Medical Center and University.
Nature is an exceptionally important resource, used extensively by faculty and students.
A full electronic version would be of great value, but the Library does not feel our patrons will benefit adequately from the provision of an abridged version of the full publication. Most academic research libraries are also refusing to subscribe to the electronic version under this plan. Therefore, it can be expected that the readership of the online version of Nature and the Nature monthlies will be considerably less than it was last year.