"I look at computers from a practical standpoint," he says. "I want to use them as tools."
But for Roberts, three computers are not enough. He longs for access to the connecting software and networks that would make it possible for him to work in a fully functioning electronic environment.
If Roberts wants to check the scientific literature for previous work on a particular chemical structure, for example, he must walk to the library. Although some institutions allow scientists and students limited computer access to their library systems, that's not the case for Roberts. And even when it's possible to conduct off-site searches, often researchers are limited to locating a book or journal rather than obtaining its contents, especially if the information appears in an obscure publication. If the library doesn't carry the journal they want, it could take weeks for them to obtain it through an interlibrary loan.
When: ...
