During 1998 and 1999 the University of Melbourne Library evaluated four interfaces for managing electronic journal subscriptions and access. These are OCLC’s ECO, SwetsNet, Ebsco Online and Blackwell’s Electronic Journal Navigator. A small working group of librarians comprised the core of the trial. A set of defined criteria for evaluating the interfaces was used. The paper will report on the experiences of the evaluation and the conclusions reached.
The authors recount the continuing trials and tribulations inherent in providing online access to single journal titles subscribed to in an academic library. The nature and variety of the problems are demonstrated by a number of examples. This paper provides an update to the article published in the November 2001 issue of the Australian Library Journal which concentrated on the experiences of the authors at the University of Melbourne. This update stresses the international nature of the difficulties.