Reports on work from two studies in progress related to assessing digital library reference services and developing standards that support such services. Suggests that two types of standards-utilization and technical-should be considered together in the costing, statistics, and measures for digital reference services. (Author/AEF)

Discusses the life cycle costs of acquiring and maintaining an academic research library and develops a methodology to determine the life cycle costs of collections based on statistical data collected by the Association of Research Libraries. Results indicate the cost structure of a research library is largely driven by its monograph collection.…

A Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) survey conducted in 1986 investigated the collection and use of management statistics in Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member libraries, and SPEC Kit #134 (May 1987) summarized the kinds of statistics collected and the reasons given by the 91 respondents for collecting them. This more…

This interlibrary loan (ILL) cost study was conducted at Union College Library in Schenectady, New York, in order to provide immediate feedback about ILL as well as to serve as a potential management tool for library and college administrators. This report describes the financial statistics of a 3-year period of use of ILL services at this small,…

A number of library projects show the cost-effectiveness of sharing space in buildings. Six tables provide statistics for new academic and public library buildings; additions and renovations; renovations only; and a six-year cost summary. Photographs of library interiors and exteriors illustrate the article. (AEF)

Presents an analysis of the Internet Public Library (IPL) from an economic perspective, using the model of the cost-minimizing firm. Highlights include application of the model to the IPL, analysis of revenue and cost in the reference department, analysis of reference statistics, and unit cost of reference service. (AEF)