The role of the academic library in the process of scholarly communication : management of print and electronic serials information

Serials information constitutes a major element of the scholarly communication process. The output of research is date-stamped and recorded in the serials literature and provides the authoritative knowledge archive. The academic library plays a major role in the process by acquiring, managing and providing access to serials information. The items in this thesis examine the nature of this role. Starting in the print environment aspects of serials collection management are explored including: bibliographic control; collection development; financial control; and automation. The findings of a research project examining serials usage data and subscription, binding and processing costs are presented, along with a discussion on the ways in which libraries can optimise access to serials information by provision of printed journals versus interlibrary loan. Moving into the electronic environment various aspects of electronic serials management are discussed, drawing upon the findings of two pieces of research. Electronic journals have the potential to revolutionise the way in which both libraries provide access to serials information and the way in which scholars use this information. Project EL VYN sought to inform both librarians and publishers about the requirements of scholars in their use of electronic journals as well as investigating some of the technical aspects of delivery formats. Cafe Jus worked with a number of publishers and investigated the way in which students and academics made use of electronic journals. A useful outcome of this study was a series of guidelines for publishers. The final section of the thesis concentrates upon serial article delivery. The first research project evaluated the relative cost-effectiveness of serial information provision by libraries in the light of the possibilities offered by electronic article delivery. Use data was collected over one academic year and the project concluded - from a series of modelling exercises - that (in 1986) a complete switch to electronic document delivery would not be cost-effective. Ten years later, Project ACORN revisited article delivery, setting up an electronic 'short loan' collection' for high demand articles and developing the necessary technical and administrative infrastructure for the process which has been utilised in a number of UK academic libraries