Issues of just‐in‐time (access) v. just‐in‐case (ownership) for libraries in developing countries: lessons to be learnt from developed countries

The information age, where ICT is an essential tool for harnessing and disseminating information, has brought with it a number of very attractive innovations for libraries, such as the provision of information in electronic form, and the gradual move away from the just‐in‐case model, to the just‐in‐time service model, adopted by many libraries in the developed world. Many libraries in developing countries are still pondering the implications of going down the just‐in‐time route. Discusses the advantages and disadvantages for academic and research libraries, considers the experience of libraries in developed countries that have adopted the just‐in‐time model (using electronic resources) for services and draws lessons that academic and research libraries in developing countries can learn from.