Business models for e-journals: reconciling library and publisher requirements?

Abstract

This article discusses business models for electronic journals. It has been clear for some time that there are significant concerns in university libraries about current models for the purchase of electronic journals and the ability of libraries to meet the needs of their user communities in the provision of journals. The fundamental concern for libraries is obviously to facilitate the widest access to the most appropriate resources for their user community, both for research and for teaching and learning, within budgetary and staffing/space constraints. E-journals are very popular with users, especially when they can be accessed in locations away from the library, unconstrained by its opening hours. A key point of difference between publishers and libraries was in attribution of the demand to continue with printed journals.