Once a requested electronic publication has been located, accessing and using it can be cumbersome. Electronic publications require that certain hardware and software be available at the user's site. A library that owns or leases electronic publications therefore will have to provide the necessary reading devices for each storage medium to be used. Electronic publications in HTML format on the World Wide Web not only require networked terminals at the user's site, but also often make it necessary that a particular version of the browser and other software be installed.
Networked documents depend on a stable and reliable infrastructure.
At present, bandwidth does not keep up with demand. Even in technologically developed countries, accessing networked documents can be painfully slow, and the situation is even worse in countries with less stable infrastructure. It is not yet clear who will be able to pay for new versions of software and hardware that are necessary at ever shorter intervals, and who will ensure reading devices for offline electronic publications are available in our libraries many years from now. Further important changes in the electronic environment refer to copyright law and interlibrary loan. Copyright law is meant to grant the owners of creative and scientific works specific rights.