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This paper presents an overview of past and present research projects associated with electronic document delivery. The paper briefly outlines the Follet Report and introduces the UK's Electronics Libraries Programme, including the recently funded Focused Investigation of Document Delivery (FIDDO) project at Loughborough University. Four research areas have been identified as follows: resource sharing projects; network communication projects; electronic scanning projects and electronic document delivery systems. Conclusions highlight the major impact that technological developments are currently having on this area, the need for librarians to reassess their role in the information chain, and the need for delivery systems capable of handling different formats and a wider coverage of material to satisfy requests.

Electronic document delivery is a concept which promises to solve end‐user problems in retrieving the primary information referenced to in bibliographical databases. This article describes an approach to electronic document delivery which gradually evolved at Tilburg University over the past two years, leading to the development of a system called Ariadne. First of all, a pragmatic description of electronic document delivery is developed as a basis for a generation model of electronic document delivery systems. This model is illustrated with short references to existing systems and leads to the identification of global requirements for an Ariadne‐like system. Special attention will be paid to existing and developing standards in this field, notably the work of the Group on Electronic Document Interchange (GEDI). The remainder of the article addresses the general model of Ariadne, currently under development at Tilburg University. The article concludes with some strategic issues for libraries and publishers in this field, and a short look into the future.

Electronic journals are an important alternative form of document delivery. Document delivery is performed by library networks and consortia, CD‐ROM suppliers, document delivery services, library suppliers and subscription agents, and electronic journal suppliers. This article reviews the general issues associated with electronic journals, and illustrates these with reference to the products and projects that are available in the UK. Subsequent to the early projects such as BLEND and Project Quartet, projects on electronic journals have been led by either publishers or consortia whose members include both major libraries and publishers. Among these projects are Ariel, EDDIS, EDIL, ADONIS, APPEAL and the UK Pilot Site Initiative. In order that electronic journals become an established option for document and information delivery, there are a number of questions that need to be answered from the perspectives both of libraries, and of the information industry. This article summarises some of these questions, and identifies some of the broader issues that will determine progress towards wide acceptance of electronic journals.

Project HERMES, the proposed electronic document delivery service sponsored by the Department of Trade and Industry, is described. HERMES is characterized by the participation of major publishers, industrial and public libraries and national government and by the use of Teletex for both document ordering and delivery. For the first phase of the project, provision of three facilities—electronic document ordering and delivery, automatic document delivery and electronic mail—to a pilot group of some sixty organizations is proposed. The major aim of the project is to promote and gain experience of the use of Teletex within the information and publishing community. [The Department of Trade and Industry announced in December 1984 that it does not intend to proceed with Project HERMES. The Journal of Documentation Editorial Board nevertheless feels that Susan Amy's paper should be published on the grounds that the proposals it details remain one possible approach to the implementation of a demonstration document delivery service based on teletex.]

This paper aims to describe the development and current situation of electronic document delivery by public libraries in Germany, taking into account the impact of the changing regulatory framework of German copyright law and the consequences of law suits against libraries and Subito.

The paper describes the current situation. Also, the new licensing strategy of the Subito delivery service and the national licensing strategy for electronic media of German libraries and the German Research foundation come into focus

The negative development of copyright law posed a new challenge for document delivery services in Germany since the statutory licence in German copyright law no longer covers electronic document delivery provided by Subito and other library document delivery services. Licence agreements with publishers or intermediaries such as copyright clearance centres are now necessary to allow delivery of electronic documents. These negotiations have proven to be very complex and controversial, but now a complicated framework of licence agreements has been concluded and will enable German libraries to generally provide electronic documents in the future. DRM‐systems, however, still are a challenge for customers and the delivery service.

Demand of delivery services has decreased and may decrease even more in the long run due to availability and direct accessibility of electronic documents, together with the national licensing program in Germany.

The paper provides a concise summary and gives an impression of the development of document delivery services of German libraries between 2003 and 2008 with special reference to the legal position and changes to German copyright law.

There has been a proliferation in commercial electronic document delivery services. Over the past few years this consistent growth, combined with enhancements to existing services, has made it difficult for librarians to keep abreast of the latest developments and service availability. This paper presents an overview of document delivery services and suppliers, and provides discussion on the various types currently available. The paper is further divided into non‐collection‐based services, collection‐based services and specialised collection‐based services. Detailed information about particular services has been collated and presented in tabular form: this includes information regarding cost, delivery time, subject field and full contact details.

The Internet has forced libraries to consider how to assist users to rapidly retrieve information. Such a consideration has accelerated the development of electronic publishing and has positioned the library as mediator between users and providers: archiving information circulation and providing secure copyright clearance through an efficient electronic document delivery and payment mechanism. This work develops an Extensible Markup Language (XML) framework for electronic document delivery that offers a novel electronic document delivery system and also locates publishers who can provide the copyrighted material in an electronic format via the OPAC. The proposed electronic document delivery system has four functions: (1) it enables the electronic document payment; (2) it shortens the time between inquiry and electronic document retrieval; (3) it anticipates the changing role of libraries; and (4) it reduces the printed collection load of libraries.

Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities received funding from the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council to investigate the collaborative provision of library services between the two institiutions. The investigation was, initially, in the area of engineering. The GAELS Project (Glasgow Allied Electronically with Strathclyde) ran between June 1999 and June 2001. An audit of existing information services which demonstrated that perceived information needs of researchers in both engineering faculties did not match the actual needs. Engineering researchers had low use of traditional library services and preferred electronic services. An overlap study of periodicals holdings between the two institutions found duplication in periodicals holdings of around £70,000 per annum. A series of document delivery trials was initiated, including local document delivery between the two sites, a commerical document delivery service for one research group, and a wholly electronic service to the desktop for bioengineers at Strathclyde University. The trials’ findings are presented along with outcomes, both actual and projected, for future collaboration.

The CEC has embarked on a two‐year programme to encourage the creation of new systems in electronic document delivery and electronic storage — the DOCDEL programme, which is co‐financed by the CEC and independent consortia. Ten experiments have been selected for support: TRANSDOC; Electronic Publishing of Patent Information; EURODOCDEL; The Electronic Magazine; Electronic Journals in Chemistry; a CEA proposal to place a mathematical journal online with Questel; two electronic newsletters in the fields of information technology and the information industry; a project to devise standardized methods for handling complex texts and difficult character sets within an integrated electronic publishing system; a proposal to create a system which will reduce the costs of printing low volumes of scientific documents; and a network of electronic invisible colleges for the rapid circulation of grey literature and pre‐published material. The experiments have raised several issues of concern, one of which is standards. CEC will identify these areas, draft standards and encourage their early adoption. Another area of concern is the need to build up experience of microcomputers on international public data networks. A full evaluation programme of the experiments will be undertaken by an independent team over a period of at least 15 months.