E-Resources in Tough Times

摘要

For the second year in a row, respondents to the annual LJ Database Marketplace Survey (LJ 5/15/04, p. 38-49) see poor library budgets as "the major issue or trend to impact database and information product availability and distribution to libraries next year." Companies that market electronic products to libraries worry that budget woes will make new products a hard sell and place old products under renewed scrutiny. Librarians must get the most for their money and look to technology for new solutions. Several respondents think poor budgets mean more reliance on online databases and electronic full texts with less purchase of print. Companies that produce both media are likely to continue as long as there is a market for both, but they are gearing up for the time when electronic journals and e-reference materials predominate.