Information Delivery in the 21st Century: Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Fee-Based Information Services in Libraries (review)

Information Delivery in the 21st Century: Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Fee-Based Information Services in Libraries, ed. Suzanne M. Ward, Yem S. Fong and Tammy Nickelson Dearie. New York: The Haworth Information Press, 1999. 115 p. $19.95 (ISBN 0-7890-0950-1) Co-published simultaneously as Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery & Information Supply 10, no. 1 (1999).

This collection of eight papers, all originally presented at the fourth International Conference on Fee-Based Information Services in San Diego in 1997, is very nearly a how-to manual for librarians or administrators considering, or in the early stages of implementing fee-based services in their institutions. The early articles in the book address the more general questions of whether and why libraries should provide services for a fee; the themes then progress through effective planning and marketing of a fee-based service, to particulars of pricing and copyright considerations. Most of the authors are current or former directors of fee-based programs and illustrate their points with examples from their own experiences.

Herbert S. White's keynote address argues that the demand for specialized information services will create a supply in the market, either from libraries or from other sources. Apart from this brief commentary, the collection devotes little attention to justifying the existence of fee-based services, when libraries and librarians are generally committed to the principle of free services (or services for all as opposed to those who can afford it). For the most part, and with some caveats based on economic realities, the value of fee-based services in libraries is assumed. Readers seeking a more in-depth justification for establishing such a service at their own institution will find little here.

Where the collection shines is in the practical advice, offered by experienced veterans. Some of the issues addressed are fundamental and general, as in Steve Coffman's and Dorothy Smith's articles on basic principles to consider before establishing fee-based services in public and academic libraries, respectively--issues of policy, legislation, and where to draw the line between fee and free. Other articles provide more specifics and offer a fairly detailed guide to accomplishing a particular task; Pamela J. MacKintosh's paper on writing a business plan is an example of this type of step-by-step guideline. The specificity and detail level of each article is appropriate to the degree of flexibility required for the reader to address the issues discussed in his or her own institution.

Of particular interest is Laura Gasaway's paper on federal copyright law as it applies to document delivery services typically provided by libraries. Although intended for an audience of fee-based service providers, the article is also an excellent resource for departments that provide free document delivery. Gasaway cuts through the often convoluted language of the code and examines issues of fair use, copyright protection, and royalties in a clear and concise manner. The paper as originally presented was made obsolete by the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, but Gasaway has revised it extensively to address the new state of copyright law.

Each article in the collection is well written and useful. Ward's earlier book, Starting and Managing Fee-Based Information Services in Academic Libraries (JAI Press, 1997), will be more useful for those just beginning such a program; the current book is recommended as a complement, but not a substitute. For institutions looking for baseline information about services in other libraries, ARL's Spec Kit 259: Fee-Based Services (August 2000), is also valuable as a survey of current practice.

David C. Greenebaum
Mercer University
<greenebaum_d@mercer.edu>

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