Re: E-Journals in the Era of Print Cancellations

["Hans Geleijnse" <Geleynse@kub.nl>]

Recently we did a survey on the use of print and electronic journals at
Tilburg University in the Netherlands.

>From this survey I draw the following conclusions with respect to the
transition from print to electronic at my institution:

1.There is no fundamental obstacle to move from print to electronic.  
There are numerous problems but in principle these problems can be solved.

2.We completely agree with Fred Friend that a safe and sound solutions for
digital archiving is imperative.

3.Another key factor is the critical mass. The interest of researchers is
diverse and very specialized. The overlap of titles of interest to
researchers is limited. We can only expect a full use of electronic
journals if these interests are properly covered.

4.Easy access and one-stop-shop are needed: A seamless connection between
a reference database (bibliographic data and abstracts) and the full text
articles from various publishers.  

5.We have to take into account that there are differences in disciplines
and subsequently in the speed of transition.
   
Hans Geleijnse
University Librarian
Tilburg University
Warandelaan 2
P.O. Box 90153
5000 LE Tilburg 
The Netherlands
Tel. +13.4662146
Fax  +13.4663370