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--Apologies for cross posting-- Exploring Charging Models for Digital Cultural Heritage The full final report for the HEDS study on behalf of the Mellon Foundation is now available online at: http://heds.herts.ac.uk/mellon/charging_models.html It is available in both HTML and PDF format. The purpose of this study (on behalf of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation) is to investigate some of the underlying assumptions being made in the move from previously analog photographic services into the realm of digital capture and delivery, in particular to look at how marketable, cost efficient and income-stable the new digital services and resources are in comparison with previous methods (which in many places still exist alongside the newer digital developments). The study, through interviews and comparative modelling of costs and fees charged, illuminated the differences in practice for the sale of analog versus digital formats. The report includes information upon: - Survey results of 51 institutions from university, public and national libraries, plus museums and galleries. - Interview results from 15 institutional service providers (11 from the UK, 4 from mainland Europe). - The report shows how pricing structures are determined for delivering digital versions of rare or unique items in libraries, museums, archives and similar public institutions. - The report gives evidence of how these digital pricing structures compare to those used for the delivery of the same or similar resources in analog form - The report explores the thresholds that determine the point at which an organization charges for the sale of content and other rights to their digital holdings and the reasons given for such charges. - This report aims to provide information which will aid the future decision making of funding agencies and project planning in deciding the relative merits of digital resources over analog in terms of their chargeable status and possible rights issues. - The Conclusions and Implications sections of this report identify the clear relationship between the gatekeeper function, the pricing policy and the assignment of revenue raised in the institutions accounting of whether a service is profitable or not. Future trends and further steps are also suggested. http://heds.herts.ac.uk/mellon/charging_models.html The study was led by Brian Robinson, HEDS Service Manager, and the report written by Simon Tanner (HEDS) and Marilyn Deegan (Oxford University). Any enquiries about the content of the report should initially be directed to Simon Tanner ([log in to unmask]). ============================================================ Simon Tanner Senior Consultant (HEDS) Higher Education Digitisation Service University of Hertfordshire Phone: +44 (0)1707 286078 Fax: +44 (0)1707 286079 Web: http://heds.herts.ac.uk Exploring Charging Structures: http://heds.herts.ac.uk/mellon/charging_models.html