[Publib] Re: ILL fees and costs

[Rebecca Bronson]

I think our estimate was approximately $25 and that was calculated several years ago. But this is an important service to a fair contingent of our patrons. And, as someone else said, it represents "the long tail," of library service, one of those trendy things that might actually turn out to be useful. ;)

Rebecca Bronson
Reference Librarian
Handley Regional Library
P.O. Box 1300
Stephens City, VA  22655

540-869-9000 (voice)
540-869-9001 (fax)

www.hrl.lib.state.va.us


-----Original Message-----
From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org]On Behalf Of Joe Schallan
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2007 2:00 PM
To: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: [Publib] Re: ILL fees and costs


The thread on charging for ILL made me wonder
just how much a typical ILL transaction costs
a typical public library.

I know I had seen attempts to quantify this before,
and a short search found a 2003 article by Saul
J. Amdursky, director of the Kalamazoo, Mich.,
Public Library, who pegged the cost at $18 per
ILL transaction, with staff labor being the largest
component by far.

He also identified ILL as a sacred cow needing
elimination.

In any case, his figure seems to jibe, within a
range, with others I know I've seen, and may
provide guidance as to when a title should be
purchased rather than ILL'ed and how much
cost recovery from the patron should be
attempted.

Joe Schallan
Phoenix

Citation:

Amdursky, Saul J., "ILL: Sacred Cow or Vital
Service?", Library Journal, Vol. 128, No. 10,
June 1, 2003, p. 76 ff.

Available in full text:  EBSCO MasterFile Premier.

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