Fee or Free? New Commercial Services Are Changing the Equation

Abstract

Online full-text research services such as Questia and Ebrary are targeting faculty and undergraduates directly, offering them library-like services for a fee. This has caused a great deal of negative response in the library community, because these companies seem to be trying to compete with and undercut freely available library services. However, rejecting them outright is probably not the best answer—if only because their marketing budgets dwarf our own. This presentation will explore the impacts these services could have on libraries, as well as the ways we might use them to extend our online collections and services. If we engage these companies in conversation, we could end up with cooperation and even partnerships. They may have an inevitable impact on libraries, but it is up to us to shape that impact by taking the initiative.

Key Words:

• Fees
• library services
• Internet
• information