IntroductionThe academic library is a different place, both physically and virtually, than it was 10 or even 5 years ago. Students and faculty demand access to digital collections at any time and from any place. Bricks-and-mortar libraries increasingly house technology labs, multimedia rooms, group study rooms, and cafés. Often, the library is one of the main computing centers on campus, facing ever-increasing calls for adequate electrical and network connections, more computer workstations, and a wide range of printing and scanning services.1 Developing these user spaces usually means re-purposing existing physical facilities by shrinking collection footprints, since there is rarely money for new buildings. Thus many academic libraries are undertaking large-scale evaluations of their print collections to decrease the footprint of stacks and liberate space to expand technology and service areas. With the increasing duplication of print content in digital resources, the focus of this evaluation is often on journal collections.As the size and use of digital collections increases, the use of print resources decreases, particularly print journals. With pressures on space intensifying, these journal collections are being earmarked as candidates for storage, either within the institution or in some form of collaborative facility with other libraries. This leaves librarians grappling with what storage option best fits their needs and capabilities. Cooperative efforts to maintain at least one print copy of what is available digitally present an attractive option.2 This collaboration usually involves libraries working together to house print serial volumes duplicated in digital, providing a backup in case access to the electronic version is lost, as well as archiving a print copy in case it is needed for future research.As academic libraries recognize the need to evaluate print collections and even weed those collections to liberate space, they also have a number of concerns about the effects of such initiatives on research, learning, and teaching support for their academic communities. Issues include the reliability of digital content, how well the digital replicates the print, and the possible long-term value the print artifact may have for research and scholarship.
