This paper reports the findings to date of, the Electronic Serials in Public Libraries project- a British Library-funded research project which is assessing the impact of electronic serials in terms of the challenges and the opportunities they present. In public libraries, serials are frequently both an under-funded and an under-used resource, making them a prime target for cancellation when library budgets come under pressure. The project has examined the ways in which electronic serials might help to combat these factors.