What’s fair? Pricing models in the electronic era

Particular characteristics of electronic resources allows information in this format to be used more widely and shared. Library consortia exist to help their members to obtain better prices: buying joint access for a greater number of users. Commercial publishers, for their part, try to combine their interests with the technical possibilities and demands of the libraries. Though the pricing models and the types of licences have improved considerably since the early years, a number of the parameters used in the calculation of prices are clearly unfavourable at present for some consortia. In 2001 the Consortium of University Libraries of Catalonia (CBUC) distributed to the most appropriate electronic mail lists a declaration “Why some libraries and consortia are paying too much for e‐information”. This article aims to extend the viewpoints set down in this statement.