RE: Pricing models, was RE: Message from Kevin Guthrie, JSTOR'sPresident

[David Goodman <dgoodman@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>]

The library has the obligation to spend its money on providing what is
needed. Ideally, if it is rich enough, it buys everything ahead of time.
As this is not the situation in the real world, it gets some items by the
piece as needed. That's the libraries internal decision, based on
cost-efficiency and service.

If necessary, in order to supply the books the patrons actually
demonstrate they need, the library should not engage in the luxury of
getting material they might only speculatively need. Of course, it then
has the obligation to get the material in the fastest possible way as part
of the cost.

What I wrote does not apply to only large and relatively wealthy
libraries. Many small and relatively poor ones find that the cost off
providing free document delivery is a small part of even their budgets. I
recognize that what I write will inevitably be misinterpreted as applying
only to libraries like the one I am primarily associated with. But I have
experience also with much less well-provisioned institutions. I would not
say that I cannot imagine a library where this service cannot be
supported, but I do not think I have seen one.

Anyone who thinks they are in such a situation is welcome to send me in
absolute confidence their budget figures for materials and staff, together
with their figures for interlibrary loan demand, and especially for the
amount of material purchased that is not used.

David Goodman
Princeton University
and
Long Island University
dgoodman@princeton.edu