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1995-06-20 · 5 min read · Edit on Pyrite

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fee-based library services

``` Date: Wed, 28 Jun 1995 11:43:24 -0700 From: Timothy Gillespie

ACTION ALERT! STOP PAY-PER-VIEW LIBRARY SERVICES POSSIBLE PRECURSOR TO INEQUITABLE FEES AT OTHER LIBRARIES

SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY PUSHING FOR FEE-BASED SERVICES TESTIMONY NEEDED AT JULY 5 LIBRARY COMMISSION

On June 20, 1995 the Finance Committee of the SFPL Commission passed a resolution recommending the full commission approve the SFPL staff proposal for funding for InfoExpress, a fee-based, pay-per-view, "value-added" service. The situation has many problems which were not addressed by the Committee, which should be addressed by the full Commission. Please consider the issues below and consider giving your testimony (in person, via fax or via internet) to the Commission:

SLANTED PRESENTATION BY LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION TO THE COMMITTEE Although the program has been in development for many months, the Commission (Finance Committee) received documentation (33-page business plan) about the service from the library administration only minutes prior to the meeting. Despite several formal requests, the public was told by senior library administration that the InfoExpress documents "were not public records".

Opposing testimony by librarians was ignored.

Opposing written statements were withheld from Commission

The Committee ignored questions about accuracy of the data in the report: 1.) representing the recent draft of the Restructuring California's Libraries Task Force Report (RCLTF) as the authoritative word of all librarians, while failing to acknowledge that the Intellectual Freedom Committee of the CLA was unanimouly opposed to the fee-based assertions of the plan; 2.) omitting free expedited services in other major cities when calculating the average national costs for such services. 3.) ommiting reference to failed or rejected services elswhere, i.e., Seattle, Arizona, etc.

ISSUES SURROUNDING FEE-BASED SERVICES InfoExpress will charge $60 (or more) per hour for research, up to $10/page and $20/hr labor for copying, up to $10/page and $20/hr labor for faxing. Municipal departments will be allowed $60 of free research, $10-20 of copying, $10-20 of faxing for free, when patrons are charged for this service. After that, patrons pay charges 800% of municipal for copying and 600% for faxing.

  • Historically, a shift from free to fee-based services has
    • always led to the further erosion of the access to information by disadvantaged populations; working people, unemployed people, non-profit organizations, etc

  • fee-based services create additional economic barriers to
    • information access and are contrary to the SFPF's stated mission, its avowed dedication to the ALA Library Bill of Rights, California State law and the fundemental principles of librarianship practised in the late 20th century

  • fee-base services can easily lead to inequitable fees,
    • penalizing regular patrons, working people,non-profit advocacy groups to information

  • any fees to patrons should be only direct, proportionate
    • hourly rates, not 600-800% multipliers of these fees
  • charging for the help of a librarian or access to a database
    • is contrary to the principles of...

  • fee-based services are now available via local and regional
    • information brokers (fee-based library services, supported in part by tax dollars, have been described as "unfair competition" to these brokers).

  • using tax dollars to subsidize a service used primarily for
    • businesses can be considered a form of "corporate welfare".

  • no real "market survey" was conducted, an essential for
    • projecting profits/losses on such a service. A private service would be laughed at for asking for funding on such flimsy research.

  • no public outreach whatsoever to assess the general public
    • or patron desire or need for such a service.

  • The service approximates a "pay per view" system of
    • information access, which can result in unfair practices: the income from "pay per view" services tend to erode the purchase of hard copy subscriptions used by less affluent patrons

  • the library should not be a party to to a trend which
    • endagers the ability of people to share information in public spaces

  • InfoExpress is being used to implement new, Reference
    • Policies and Procedures for the library, with no comparitive scrutinization as to the shrinkage of standard services. WHAT YOU CAN DO! If you are disturbed by this attempt to slam-dunk a poorly conceived, business-oriented program into the public library system, you can:

  • Appear at the Library Commission meeting Friday, July 5 at
    • 5:30 PM in the Lurie Room at the Main Library at Civic Center to testify on this issue.(s)

  • Submit written comments or testimony which can be
    • distributed to the Commission or read into the record.

  • E-mail info about experiences with other fee-based products
    • in other libraries

  • Re-mail(email or fax) this message to other postings or
    • persons who can take some action

    Thanks for your interest and assistance.

    ---

    Timothy Gillespie 691 Post Street #603 PUBLIC ACCESS PROJECT SF, CA 94109 415-921-8147 fax:921-6972

    ---

    A Sample Letter:

    Mr. James Herlihy, President All Commissioners San Francisco Public Library Commission Main Library, Civic Center San Francisco, CA 94102 Fax: 415-557-4257

    RE: InfoExpress

    Dear Mr. Herlihy and Commissioners,

    I understand that on July 5, 1995, the Public Library Commission intends to vote on the approval of funding for the Info Express program proposed by the library administration. (On behalf of) I would ask that the Commission defer action on this item for at least one month to allow for a more thorough review of the possible consequences of the program, including testimony to the Commission by persons and organizations who can speak intelligently to the issues at hand. Some of the issues in this matter are:

    1.) Although InfoExpress has been discussed at the Commission for months, comprehensive materials outlining the InfoExpress program (including the business plan) were unavailable to the Commission and interested parties until immediately prior to the Finance Committee's discussion of the program. 2.) fee-based services create additional economic barriers to information access by very important segments of the library patron base: working people, poor people, and non-profit organizations. 3.) fee-based services can easily lead to inequitable fees, further marginalizing the least able to defend their rights to information 4.) fee-based services are now available via local and regional information brokers (fee-based library services, supported in part by tax dollars, have been described as "unfair competition" to these brokers). 5.) no real "market survey" was conducted, essential for projecting profits/losses on such a service. 6.) The service approximates a "pay per view" system of information access, which can result in unfair practices: the income from "pay per view" services tend to erode the purchase of hard copy subscriptions used by less affluent patrons 7.) the library should not be a party to to a trend which endagers the ability of people to share information in public spaces

    In light of these unresolved issues, it seems best that the Commission defer action on this item until appropriate public discussion is held and modifications can be made in the program. I appreciate the Commission's attention to this matter and would welcome the opportunity to present testimony at a future hearing about InfoExpress.

    Sincerely,

    cc: To All Commissioners ```

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