UnCover: the article access solution

Abstract

The current climate for academic libraries is such that traditional collection development philosophies are being examined anew. The rising cost of journals, coupled with steady or declining budgets, has necessitated a review of the means for providing access to information at the local level. Where once the local collection was all-important, the focus now has shifted in other directions. As Leach describes it, libraries will begin to shift collection development funds to document delivery services. Instead of purchasing resources "just in case," the new paradigm may be purchasing information "just in time". Anticipating this shift and taking advantage of existing technologies, the UnCover Company has developed a service that, although relatively new, has been widely discussed.