In fact, journal costs have increased at a higher rate during the last part of the 1990s, fueled apparently by publishers' discovery that they could recoup conversion costs from their highly captive market. Electronic access is, however, fraught with challenges. Libraries have typically chosen to maintain print journal collections, even when they have access to electronic versions. There are many reasons for this choice. There are great uncertainties about the preservation of electronic scholarship.
Paper lasts a very long time.
With hardware and software changing rapidly, however, few players within the scholarly communication enterprise are willing to commit to perpetual electronic preservation. Some scholars have been slow to accept electronic-only access to scholarly communication. They insist that print journals continue to be on the shelves even when electronic versions are easily available. Electronic access is usually achieved through license agreements. They are dependent on the licensor for delivery, and, in many cases, they retain nothing if an electronic resource is canceled or discontinued.