another significant benefit of electronic serv ices such as Business ASAP is the ability for multiple users to simultaneously access and print the same journal article.
"These trends—increased electronic access, expanded information universe, increased user demand for journal articles, and preferred electronic searching—point toward an increasing demand and acceptance of electronic fulltext access."
Despite these notable advantages, full-text also has its drawbacks. Some of its risks are a function of the use of computers and computer peripherals, and the reliability of the vendors that provide the various services: other risks regard the effects that electronic access has on the manner in which users search for information. Full-text databases arc accompanied by hefty hardware and software requirements. Even libraries that have computerized some operations may find that existing hardware and software need to be upgraded. This also holds true for peripherals, such as printers. For instance, articles with full image capability require a laser printer. Additional staffing may be required to respond to the inevitable technical snafus that accompany any electronic service, and to deal with daily maintenance of the computers and printers. The library must ensure that adequate workstations arc available for users. Decisions must be made as to whether or not users are charged for printing and. if so. how fees will be collected. Options include coin and card-operated systems, as well as staff interface. Dow ntime may also emerge as a problem. Whether it is caused by local, institutional. Internet, or vendor problems is irrelevant to the user. What does matter is loss of access! The user may have a vast number of fulltext articles available one instant, but they may be gone in a flash. This issue of data access is also related in a critical way to the vendor. What if the vendor goes out of business, or what if the vendor ceases to supply the fulltext of heavily used journals that the library has alreadv canceled in printed form?1*