Notion of "virtual library" developing as medical schools cope with rising journal costs.

The skyrocketing cost of medical and scientific journals has caused most Canadian universities to cut their subscription lists by an average of 20% over the last 3 years. Researchers say this causes delays in getting pertinent articles and journals and is an impediment to their work, but on the positive side the continuing decline in library holdings is stimulating libraries and researchers alike to use alternative strategies when seeking information, including computer databases, e-mail and the Internet.