In a study that compared the perceived costs to libraries of providing print and electronic materials, researchers found that librarians believe that labor, space requirements and material resources would be less costly in an all-digital library than in a paper library. However, those librarians expressed a wide range of views on exactly how much cheaper digital should be. Participants expressed some concern that higher salaries might be needed to attract and retain a more knowledgeable and skilled level of staff needed to effectively manage an all-digital library, thereby balancing out a substantial portion of the potential savings. Respondents also noted concerns related to the costs of managing both the digital and paper library simultaneously, which is the most common current scenario. The authors conclude that these uncertainties warrant the continued study of the resources needed to transition from a paper to a digital library.
posted by Marcus Zillman |
3:20 PM
