Ensuring Equitable Participation in a Resource-Sharing Network: Gratisnet Case Study (Report) (Case Study‪)‬

Special libraries are pincered between rising inter-library loan (ILL) costs and rising costs of journal subscriptions. Even the largest libraries face a dilemma in the growth in academic publishing. In 2003 libraries in Australian universities subscribed to more than 1 300 000 journals, 974 000 of which were in aggregate digital collections. (1) This figure included more than 273 000 new serial titles and more than 150 000 cancellations. (1) One of the solutions available to larger libraries to address the growth in the number of publications is the use of consortia arrangements for access to electronic publications. While these arrangements have proven effective for larger libraries, smaller special libraries are often not in a position to participate in consortia deals. The transition to electronic delivery has also seen the gradual attrition of subscriptions to the traditional print format. (2) Any cost saving achieved by this attrition is offset by the substantial increase in the number of digital resources available and the increasing displacement of collection building in other areas to address the subscription cost for scientific journals. (3) The principal method for special libraries to supplement their own collections has been the use of ILL. National ILL resource-sharing networks are generally fee-based, either through direct charging systems or through the use of payment vouchers. Some special libraries can be reluctant to participate in national networks. They may have specialist collections not covered by the collections of larger institutions and, therefore, may be a substantial net supplier in a context where they do not have the capability to respond to a large number of ILL requests. Some of these libraries are so small that it may not be practical for them to complete the paperwork necessary to redeem ILL credits from the libraries they supply documents to. Finally, they may not be able to afford the participation costs, such as membership fees and voucher costs, of a fee-based ILL network.