RE: [Web4lib] prove that library 2.0 isn´t usele ss

[Lars Aronsson]

John Fereira wrote:

> To do that a better definition of ROI is required.  What exactly 
> is the return?  Libraries are essentially a services oriented 
> "business".

I recently discussed the Google Book Search project with a library 
person.  It's amazing how much money Google is investing in 
scanning books, and the library person was quite envious.

It struck me then, that librarians are used to see funding and 
investment as a resource.  The more you get, the happier you are. 
The book scanning people at Google get more money, so they must be 
happier than people at most libraries.  We got funding.  Yay!

But in the commercial world, where Google operates, an investment 
is a debt, something you will one day be required to pay back and 
with an interest.  If you can manage a project with less funding, 
you're all the merrier, because the sooner and easier will you be 
able to reach break-even and return a profit.  It is indeed 
worrisome that Google makes such large investments in book 
scanning.  How on earth are they going to recover those costs?  
By closing down the entire thing to paying subscribers?

Perhaps these different views on "investment" is something that 
should be kept in mind when discussing "return on investment".


-- 
  Lars Aronsson (lars at aronsson.se)
  Aronsson Datateknik - http://aronsson.se