The growth of electronic journals in academic libraries in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Saudi academic libraries (SALs) have been moving towards using electronic resources since 1992. This study aims to investigate the changes in electronic journal (EJ) (bibliographic and full-text databases) and printed journal (PJ) collection and acquisition in terms of number of titles, type of provisions and acquisition budgets and costs, between the years 1995 and 2000. The survey method was used to obtain the data. The instruments used in this study were questionnaires that were distributed to six academic libraries in Saudi Arabia. The percentages were used to show the differences between the increase and the decrease of EJ and PJ collections and budgets. The most important findings show that the percentage of EJ collections sharply increased in 1996 by 98 percent, which corresponds to a high increase in their budget of 125 percent.

Changing paradigm in journals based current awareness services in libraries

“…In the past few years, the advent of e-journals and their easy and increasingly widespread accessibility and availability especially through the e-journals consortia have had a bearing on the journal based current awareness services provided by libraries. That spread and usage of electronic journals is on rapid progression has been illuminated by earlier studies [2,6,12].…”

Impact of electronic journals on university libraries of India: a study

“…There was a "decrease in demand of over 40 percent in large research libraries" (p. 207). Dulaymi et al (2004) discussed the growth of e-journals in academic libraries in Saudi Arabia since 1992. The study investigated the "changes in electronic journal and print journal collections and acquisitions in terms of number of titles, type of provisions and acquisition, budgets and costs between the years 1995 and 2000".…”