Resource Sharing in the Systemic Context of Scholarly Communication

AFSTRACT THEPURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO examine issues related to resource sharing among libraries within the context of world knowledge needs, economic and publishing realities, and the intersection of conflicting interests of stakeholders in the scholarly communications system as it moves into an increasingly electronic environment. The author surveys the emergence of distinctive attitudes and localized solutions to practical challenges faced by librarians and publishers under the impact of electronic documents, and considers the kinds of technical solutions and impacts that might be expected in the future.