Times of Crisis Accelerate Inevitable Change

Librarians, publishers, and vendors have all experienced a period of assessment, strategic review, and reaction as a result of not only the recent economic downturn but also the continued evolution from an industry that was primarily print-based to one dominated by electronic dissemination of scholarly information. This article addresses some of the important actions taken by vendors, publishers, and librarians as a result of the recent economic situation and the continued migration of scholarly resources to electronic formats. It explores patterns in publisher prices and pricing models, library content selection, and spending trends, as well as vendor strategies and tactics during a time of fiscal challenge and industry change.