(From: _Finding Common Ground: Creating a Library of the future Without Diminishing the Library of the Past_ conference Sponsored by Harvard college Library.
Abstract from: "Twenty-first Century Scholarship: Energy, Expertise, & Expenses"
Panel: Lois Cherepon, Karen Svenningsen, Patricia O'Brien Libutti, Ree DeDonato, Eleanor Langstaff.
Papers delivered: March 31, 1996. (See Finding Common Ground contents listing).

The Bottom Line: Expenses Involved in Electronic Scholarship By Lois Cherepon and Karen Svenningsen

The current economic status of scholarship can be described as an ongoing debate over the best means and methods of providing new electronic resources while at the same time continuing to develop traditional print research collections. Although the new electronic mediums of scholarship have many advantages, financial issues about implementing new technology are yet to be fully resolved. The financial impact of acquiring electronic resources while simultaneously developing print reference collections has generated concerns among library departments and has created new affiliations with the campus community. This discussion will focus on the economic impact of electronic scholarship, including: 1) an overview of the costs of both print and electronic resources, 2) a cost-benefit analysis of scholarship and technology, and 3) the need for the library's mission statement to include a clear definition of modern scholarship, one that will address the importance of budgeting for both traditional resources and new technology in the library.