Abstract

Abstract: The rapid growth of computer networks and of Electronic Information (EI) sources are currently producing a great explosion in the usage of EI all over the world. Effective, fast and easy access to the networks has caused Academic Libraries to change the way they develop and manage their collections especially in periodicals (serials or journals). They play a central role in the whole process of scholarly communication, which includes the periodical information chain, publishers, subscription agents and librarians (Woodward, 1994, p36). Accordingly, selection policies are changing to reflect the complex array of criteria and issues driving selection decisions. Weintraub presents a new form of collection policy- the genre statement- designed to aid the library organization as a whole in coping with the shift to digital publishing and Electronic Journals (EJ) (Weintraub, 1998, p1). Academic libraries have traditionally been perceived as information providers. They struggle to supply materials and services that support the educational and research objectives of their parent organizations. This widely accepted role of information provider usually overshadows the library’s important role as information consumer. The information