Hello,

I am a librarian, currently working for EMC International, Inc. an
american company who is the Latin America and Caribbean representative for
University Microfilm International (UMI), Meridian Data, Inc. and other
electronic publishers, such as SilverPlatter, Dialog, etc. My location is
Chile, with the office based in Santiago.

During the last three years we have been involved in the marketing of UMI
products, specially the full image databases, such as Business Periodicals
Ondisc, General Periodicals Ondisc, Social Science Index and IEEE/IEE
Publications Ondisc.  My colleagues do really like the feeling of all
these new tech, but are always asking for additional information on
someone else's experience.

At the same time, and with the arriving of internet-table of contents,
such as Uncover, FirstSearch, OCLCContents, I am starting to re-question
the whole process of subscribing to serials. When I say "subscribing" I mean
"hard-copy or paper" subscribing. My question to whoever is involved with
serials use and serials collection development is:  Would you consider to
cancel highly-priced subscriptions and subscribe instead to their
electronic table of contents, and in order to have your backfiles for the
students, but the whole year on microfiche instead?  If you were to select
titles to convert to this "hybrid" way of collection and service, what
would you base your selection on?

If any of you would like to share their experience in these, please answer me
directly, I will summarize for the list.

Many thanks,

Marie-Louise Bore
emcchile@huelen.reuna.cl
EMC International, Inc.