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With apologies to Colin, This should have gone to the list in the first place! Mike Maguire ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Maguire" <[log in to unmask]> To: "CAMPBELL, Colin" <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Friday, September 06, 2002 1:52 AM Subject: Re: Charging to use the People's Network - can we? > Though "on leave" I can't resist this one ... > > 1. There's charging & then there's charging. For example, in Devon, we've > moved from an initial 20 minutes to 30 minutes "free access" per person per > day ... if you want/need more than that then you pay. The increase is being > introduced with the PN rollout as a contribution to "social inclusion" but > is resulting in a substantial drop in income. > > 2. The PN is a multi-role "vehicle" that provides us with quite some > capacity to modernise services and in particular to make a valuable > contribution to both learning and e-government. However, while one could > argue that in a sense, these are additional to our more traditional > print-based services, which obviously already include a long and honourable > contribution towards learning, the PN is also facilitating ... sorry about > this ... the "e-ification" of traditional print-based information services > ... and here, I suspect we are in some danger of getting into considerable > difficulties. Quality electronic information service provision is far from > "cheap" and yet it is increasingly replacing print based resources, and > increasingly is becoming the only form factor for this type of service. So, > while one could argue a case for charging for new/additional services > facilitated by the PN ... is there really any case for charging for access > to material that previously was available in print format and was free at > the point of usage? The model to test this would be, I guess, that without > the PN and the relative large scale provision it allows, we would instead be > sprinkling a few "Reference only" PCs in larger libraries, simply to replace > limited print-based resources with PC based ones ... and then, under the > "free and comprehensive service", banner, we'd somehow get by. And indeed, > some library services will already have wrestled with this issue by > dedicating some PC's to a linited range of informatiuon sources, albeit that > this flies in the face of the user's expectation of near seamless access to > the widest possible range of services > > 3. There is then, I suspect, a slight byplay to be worked out on the > "Library Charging Regulations" for if I recall correctly, certain types of > information provision, i.e. bibligraphical aids (e.g. catalogues) cannot be > charged for, and I'm still waiting for the day when a well-infomed library > user demands his/her right to free access to consult the library catalogue > in a library that does not provide this facility on separate "free to use" > equipment. > > > However, as Colin Campbell reminds us ... in the absence of additional > alternative funding, quite how are we to achieve sustainable provision > otherwise? Ok, there is a good case to be made for a corporate contribution > in view of the role that librraies can (and should) have under emerging > e-government provision, but this currently is purely recognised as a local > issue and while some library service might receive substantial corporate > support in this respect, many others may well effectively get nothing. > > > > Views expressed are purely my own ... > > Mike Maguire > > Devon Library & Information Services > [log in to unmask] > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "CAMPBELL, Colin" <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Thursday, September 05, 2002 5:26 PM > Subject: Re: Charging to use the People's Network - can we? > > > Yes - it will provoke debate. > I am currently working on sustainability post April 2003 and one element, > unless there is sustainability funding from DCMS in the Minister's statement > at PLA Conference or earlier, one consideration will have to be direct > charging for use. This is not a policy our Council would wish to pursue but > are left with either that or cutting a bookfund which is already 45% under > funding to achieve the PL Standard. > We have provided our sustainability needs to DCMS in both the last and the > current ALP and have been led to believe that this issue will be addressed > nationally - but no indication as to what level or when. > PN Network funding contract runs out at the end of March 2003 and it is then > the business of each Council, unless there is direct Government > intervention, as to what it does and how it supports/maintains PN. > > Colin Campbell > -----Original Message----- > From: Paul Forrest [mailto:[log in to unmask]] > Sent: 05 September 2002 17:14 > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Charging to use the People's Network - can we? > > > Here's one that might provoke a little debate - do list members know if > there is anything in the People's Network funding contract that stipulates > we cannot charge a fee to recoup the ongoing running costs of providing the > People's Network? E.g. a £2 per hour charge for internet access, for > example? > > Seed money to provide terminals is all well and good - but the costs in > terms of providing staff to maintain the service are very high. Are any > library authorities challenging (or planning to challenge) DCMS on this > issue? > > I am writing in a personal capacity and my views do not necessarily reflect > those of my employers. > > Paul >