Coping with the digital shift : Four of the thorniest issues

As electronic journals become a real option for serious consideration by libraries, various library organizations, such as The International Coalition of Library Consortia, the University of Washington, and the University of California Libraries, have drawn up guidelines for acquiring and licensing digital information. The guidelines are based on careful evaluation of libraries' shrinking budgets in the face of rising serials costs, lack of storage space, library workflows, and user needs. Libraries note the potential benefits of electronic serials, but also quake at the thought of inaccessible electronic files caused by lack of preservation, changing technology, or publisher requirements. This paper addresses four of the thorniest issues raised by library ocnsortia: pricing, authorization systems, integration, and permanent digital archives. These issues are problematic not only for libraries, but also for publishers, because they are issues of the digital world