At a recent meeting, representatives of consortia of libraries from around the world expressed concern at the news of yet another information industry merger which is further concentrating control of access to publicly-used information into a few commercial hands. Wolters Kluwer already own Ovid Technologies, which provides an alternative to SilverPlatter for library users to move from bibliographic information to the full-text of scientific and medical literature.
Monopolistic control can lead to unjustified price increases and limited service options for users.
The acquisition of SilverPlatter by Wolters Kluwer is part of a wider concentration of access to information into the hands of a few giant multi-national companies. The acquisition of Harcourt General Inc. by Reed Elsevier Inc. is currently being examined by regulatory authorities in several countries. Library organizations across the world have been vociferous in pointing to the danger for society in such mergers. Open and unrestricted access to information is one of the corner-stones of democracy, and control of access to the world's information by a few powerful commercial interests is developing rapidly. The Coalition is an informal, international group that currently comprises over 100 library consortia in North America, Europe, Australia, Israel, China, and South Africa.