Ryan Eby wrote:
> On 6/26/06, Jacobs, Jane W <Jane.W.Jacobs_at_queenslibrary.org> wrote:
>> In
>> fact, pleasing our customers may bring us less funding, not more. We
>> will ultimately be accountable to funders not customers and they are not
>> really the same people.
> If the library doesn't
> have meaning or relevancy to the community then it will be much harder
> to get the millage or budget that one might need to keep "in
> business". It might be a board that approves things but if the public
> in general doesn't care, and budgets get tight, then it's an easier
> thing to cut.
One thing we are REALLY bad at is showing the value of our services.
This is ironic, because our services are hugely valuable. Subscription
to x journals (at retail) $nn / population = an impressive amount of
money. Free internet access (at internet cafe prices) * number of hours
* number of computer = an impressive amount of money. Library budgets
get cut because no one understands how efficient our services are
compared to individual access. And no one understands because we don't
tell them.
kc
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Karen Coyle / Digital Library Consultant
kcoyle@kcoyle.net http://www.kcoyle.net
ph.: 510-540-7596
fx.: 510-848-3913
mo.: 510-435-8234
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Received on Fri Jun 30 2006 - 11:02:26 EDT