The aim of this article is to update the 1992 work done by David Baker with regard to the economic and management “balance” between the on‐site holding of journals and the remote delivery, on demand, of specific journal articles.
The research for the article consists of a review of the literature since 1992, together with trends in library serials acquisitions and interviews with key library staff involved in document delivery.
The article reviews the original work undertaken at the University of East Anglia and its conclusions: charts and reflects on what happened between then and now; summarises and analyses the current position; considers present trends and existing research and development work; suggests future possible scenarios and proposes further studies and projects in the area. The article is concerned primarily with the UK Higher Education (UKHE) sector.
The article will be useful in terms of planning future work on the economic aspects of library provision, and digital library development in particular.
The article presents a summary of key aspects of document delivery over the last 15 years and suggests major areas for future planning and development.
