Groundbreaking work by the British Library and Adobe®, unveiled today at Online 2002, combines the Library's expertise and Adobe's encryption technology to set a new standard for secure electronic document delivery (EDD) services.

The British Library, one of the world's leading document suppliers, has integrated Adobe Content Server® encryption and Adobe Acrobat® eBook Reader® software into its electronic document delivery operations, allowing customers of the Library's inside service to order PDF files of articles from Elsevier Science and other publishers on a strict pay-per-view basis.

Until now publishers and document supply companies have had difficulty enforcing copyright and managing rights in the digital environment. Working together, the British Library and Elsevier Science have used Adobe's technology to answer publishers' needs - ensuring the secure delivery of articles.

The British Library's approach has won the endorsement of Elsevier Science, the world's leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. Elsevier Science will make articles from 1,700 of its titles available in PDF format to the Library's document supply customers. Titles covered by the agreement include well-known journals such as The Lancet, Tetrahedron and Brain Research, through to more specialist periodicals.

The British Library can now supply PDF files of journal articles from over 2,500 key titles from the top research publishers (including 800 titles covered by separate deals with S. Karger AG and Kluwer Academic Publishers).

Using the Library's inside service, customers can search for relevant articles; select the items they require; and quickly obtain print-quality copies of articles delivered directly to their desktop. Articles can be viewed on screen and printed using Adobe's Acrobat eBook Reader. Prices for the new PDF electronic delivery service include copyright fees and customers can pay using a secure credit card payment facility. In the future, PDF electronic delivery will also be available on other British Library Web-based services.

'This development underlines the Library's commitment to innovation,' says Natalie Ceeney, Director of Operations and Services at the British Library. 'The Library tries to keep abreast of technology as it develops. This is a first step on a path which offers exciting opportunities for further developments. We are delighted to have forged strong working relationships with both Adobe and Elsevier Science to solve the problem of how to provide secure electronic document delivery.'

'This system also delivers major new benefits to customers,' continues Ceeney. 'We already supply 90% of the UK's top R&D scoreboard companies, but this breakthrough will be especially useful in helping us to serve SMEs. These customers need information quickly and from a wide range of sources, but they don't use the electronic journal database packages available from publishers often enough to make subscription worthwhile - the British Library's Web-based services are the ideal solution.'

'This deal demonstrates the British Library's commitment to providing its users with the easiest way to meet their secure electronic document delivery needs,' said Mark Floisand, Marketing Director at Adobe UK. 'The British Library clearly understands how it can work with partners and effectively use technology to maintain its position as one of the best libraries in the world. Most importantly, it is acting on this knowledge.'

Arie Jongejan, Elsevier CEO Science and Technology, said, 'We have enjoyed working with the British Library and Adobe. The Library's innovative use of encryption technology will help us to give the widest possible access to our scientific publications for librarians and researchers in the UK and across the world.'