Elizabeth L Young
An important issue associated with the growth of communications channels and their regulation concerns the availability of financial support for an increasing number of international distribution systems. Even in the US, some proposed satellite ventures have not succeeded due to competition for frequencies and financing. Several issues are raised by the movement toward a furthering of information exchange and the democratization of communications. Two major issues concern accessibility and training of both users and librarians. It is important to consider the need for worldwide communications systems stable enough to guarantee continue worldwide access to information. There is also a need to examine whether a marketplace philosophy alone is adequate to ensure that all types of information will continue to be made available.