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Purpose - This paper aims to describe the history and current plans for the newspaper collections of the British Library. Design/methodology/approach - The Library will create more access to its older collections, via mass digitisation of texts. The Library is seeking to work with UK newspaper publishers to secure the ingest of "born digital" newspapers, to present issues of recent newspapers to users in library reading rooms. Digitised newspapers will be taken into the Library's digital library storage system being developed for all types of digital materials that the Library is acquiring in growing quantities. There are plans to move the existing collections from Colindale to a new storage facility at its Boston Spa site, to ensure controlled environmental conditions for the original printed newspapers. Findings - It was found that the British Library is investing in the future in order to improve access to a vital part of its collections. Originality/value - This is one of the few published articles on how a national library deals with the massive task of providing access to newspapers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper aims to highlight some of the ways in which UK academic libraries are responding to the increasing space pressures in both their library buildings and their external stores. Design/methodology/approach - A survey of academic libraries looks at current practice, with examples taken from the University of Leeds and a number of other UK universities. Findings - The paper finds that relegation of stock has become a fact of life, and withdrawal is becoming more common. It is clear that the shortage of physical space cannot be solved by institutions in isolation, and that a collective strategy is essential in order to guarantee long-term sustainable storage of low-usage material. Originality/value - It is hoped that the examples discussed can help inform stock management decisions in other institutions that are starting to face storage problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the current state of interlending and document delivery from a UK perspective. In particular, focuses on four trends that have recently gained momentum and come to the fore – international interlending, resource discovery, online access to full text and the problem of monographs, and unmediated requesting. Reports on developments in these areas and the way one area will influence another. Document delivery is widening in scope and meshing with serials and acquisitions in an electronic environment, while traditional ILL is focusing on more problematical areas. Also looks at how the activities of the British Library are shaping events. This is the latest in a series of articles which have appeared in the journal over the years. The last was published in Vol. 27 No. 2, 1999. Looking back on the interlending and document delivery world in 1999 and 2000 from a UK perspective, I believe there are four trends that seem to have gained added momentum, trends which should be of interest and relevant outside the UK as well. They are: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright is a central issue when considering document supply electronically because actions seen as simple in themselves are technically complex and raise many legal issues. The basic concepts of copyright law apply whatever the situation but trying to map these on to the electric situation can be difficult. Proposals from the European Commission to change the law will make the provision of document supply services even more difficult. The use of vehicles such as the World Wide Web for delivering documents and information generally while offering exciting opportunities, is full of obstacles. Recent legal cases give little reason for optimism in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]