Universities and information: striking a balance between research and training

What students require from their libraries depends a great deal on the nature of their course and their level of study. One typical distinction is between undergraduate and post-graduate material, the latter being used for Masters and doctoral research. Given the constraints on library budgets, the development of ever more costly e-resources, and differences in document use patterns, how can librarians come up with a coherent policy, apportion budgets, and justify decisions on expenditure? A number of new pooled resources, such as Cadist, Istex, and Open Access, play a role in helping librarians strike a delicate balance on such issues.
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