I understood the question to be about *commercial* tables of contents
services, who would supply tables of contents (presumably after
paying royalties to publishers) to the library for its users to review.

If the discussion is about copying and distributing the tables of
contents of the *libraries' subscriptions*, I would question
whether this may violate copyright. I believe the table of contents
is copyrighted along with the rest of the journal, and therefore
can be copied and distributed only according to "fair use" guidelines.
However, I'm NO expert in this area--

Can anyone with more expertise confirm this?

Ellen Duranceau
Assoc. Head, Serials & Acquisitions Services
MIT Libraries

|> 2 messages, 40 lines:
|>
|> (1)----------------------
|> Date:         Wed, 5 Jun 1996 11:57:15 -0400
|> From:         Cynthia Runyon <libcgr@EMORY.EDU>
|> Subject:      Re: Table of Contents services
|>
|> Once a year we send a form to all faculty members giving them the
|> opportunity to request the table-of-contents for up to five journals in
|> the collection.  We enclose a list of new journals acquired during the
|> year.  When entered into the system according to instructions,
|> the faculty name and address prints out automatically when that title is
|> checked in.  We then photocopy the tables-of-contents and put them in the
|> campus mail.  Not all take advantage of the service, but those who do
|> express appreciation.
|>
|> Cynthia Runyon
|> Pitts Theology Library
|> libcgr@emory.edu
|>
|> (2)-----------------------
|> Date:         Wed, 5 Jun 1996 08:19:07 -0500
|> From:         Jeanette Skwor <SKWORJ@GBMS01.UWGB.EDU>
|> Subject:      Re: Table of Contents services
|>
|> >  I am going to present our company with the idea of a table of contents
|> >  service to replace at least some of our routed serials.  Do any of you
|> >  use a table of contents service?  I'd be interested in your
|> >  experiences with it, things like cost effectiveness, satisfaction
|> >  levels with your vendor, etc.
|> >
|> > [From:  Elizabeth Cronk <Elizabeth.Cronk@RELIASTAR.COM>]
|>
|>    ***I've not heard of this.  Would you please tell us more of what it is,
|> how one accesses it, & proposed usage to replace routing?
|>
|> Thanks--
|>
|> Jeanette Skwor
|> skworj@uwgb.edu             "Librarians are Happy Bookers"