As an addenda to this excellent observation, I will mention something that
I learned from a study done by an academic library nearby.  They discovered
that you need to not only look at whether or not the online version
includes illustrations and whether they are in color or not (which can be
extremely important if you have a bar graph that was originally in color
and is now in black and white), but you need to actually, visually, check
and be sure that the illustrations are actually worth looking at
online.  This study (and I have seen the actual items that were found)
discovered that even when the online version contains the illustrations,
they are not always nearly as clear as the original.  In some cases, the
online reproductions were so bad that they were virtually useless.  In some
cases, they are even clearer than the originals, but you need to check.

Susan Andrews

At 03:00 PM 12/8/2003 -0500, you wrote:
>Tylka,
>
>I don't believe that this was mentioned, but it is rather important to
>consider format when deciding whether or not to go with online only.  For
>example, will the online version still contain colour
>photos/illustrations?  Will you still receive any special inserts?  Are
>the articles available in PDF format, or HTML only?  The degree of
>importance in this realm varies for subject matter, however it is still
>worth noting.  You may also want to investigate the speed at which you
>will receive the latest issues.  Some publishers have been known to
>withhold online access in favour of maintaining print subscriptions
>(otherwise known as an "embargo").  Good luck!
>
>Jane Schmidt, Serials Librarian Intern
>Collections Team
>Ryerson University Library

Susan Andrews
Head, Serials Librarian
Texas A&M University-Commerce
P.O. Box 3011
Commerce, TX 75429-3011
Susan_Andrews@tamu-commerce.edu
(903)886-5733
"Your Success Is Our Business"