Fee‐Based Services in Library and Information Centres (2nd ed.)

Citation

du Preez, M. (2004), "Fee‐Based Services in Library and Information Centres (2nd ed.)", Online Information Review, Vol. 28 No. 6, pp. 462-463. https://doi.org/10.1108/14684520410570607

The second edition of Fee‐Based Services in Library and Information Centres, formerly entitled Making a Charge for Library and Information Services, aims at setting out the key considerations for decision‐makers involved in putting into practice ideas for a priced service, as part of overall library and information service provision. It forms part of the ASLIB Know How Guides – a series of short practical guides on how to deal with and resolve current issues affecting librarians and other information workers.

The two authors, Sylvia Webb and Jules Winterton, are well‐known consultants and lecturers in their respective fields: knowledge management and fee‐based information services for the legal profession. Both have written several books, some of which are now in their second and third editions.

Chapter 1 is a reflection on why libraries and information centres charge for their services. It describes the important role charging is playing in resource planning by clarifying need and usage. It also advises librarians to consider where the service sits within their long‐term objectives and priorities.

Once the decision is made to offer a fee‐based service, the library or information centre needs to focus on the following key points:

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  What can they offer?

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  Why are they charging?

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  What resources will they need?

These aspects are discussed in Chapter 2, while Chapter 3 addresses the need to carry out and co‐ordinate market research to establish what the library wants to sell as “products”. Chapter 4 advises on how to prepare a proposal or presentation to support the new service, to justify the costs and demonstrate the benefits. Then decisions must be made on how it should happen. Chapter 5 focuses on the procedures that are necessary to underpin the successful implementation of any charging policy, while Chapter 6 is concerned with marketing and promoting the new fee‐based service. Chapter 7 concludes the discussion with some advice on how to take the service forward, ensuring that it continues to meet present needs, but does not miss out on future opportunities and changing requirements.

Four case studies describing real‐life approaches to various aspects of developing and operating a priced service are provided in Chapter 8. These illustrate the ways in which two academic libraries, a professional body, and a firm of solicitors have handled the introduction and development of charging for library and information services. All of these case studies demonstrate the importance of ongoing review and the requirement to be able to respond to constantly changing needs and demands.

Chapter 9 consists of references and further reading lists. This is not a bibliography in the usual sense, as most of the references include a brief abstract, highlighting some of the source's most important features. An appendix listing the organisations referred to in the text and a very useful index concludes the volume. Italic letters after the page numbers in the index indicate the type of content the indexing term refers to.