ABSTRACT
The effect of the financial squeeze on libraries was recognized by the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals in their Press Release PR335 of 4 October 1993. This acknowledged that, while expenditure on university libraries had risen by 27% in cash terms in seven years and 23% when deflated by the specific deflators for university pay and prices. A particular effort was made to facilitate inter-institutional library use. Most institutions had customarily been helpful in admitting researchers, both staff and senior postgraduates from other institutions. The general progress in the technology made it inevitable that the 1990s would be a period of intensive growth in the provision of electronic services. Three factors accentuated this, the role played by Joint Information Systems Committee of the Higher Education Funding Councils (JISC), the Electronic Libraries programme and the emergence of the World Wide Web. Founded in 1993, JISC grew increasingly important, in the negotiation of deals for the provision of electronic materials and services.
