Fee or free? The socio-economic dimensions of the charging dilemma

Abstract

The issue of charging for library and information services involves complicated political and econorruc problems associ ated with the balance of public and private interests. An attempt is made to demonstrate that the dilemmas of charging finally boil down to political judgements of the value of information in society. Firstly, the role of user fees as a gate of access to information resources and the characteristics of use and exchange value of information are reviewed. Characteris tics of the values are elaborated by analyzing the modes and control of consumption processes. The main attention is di rected to the dimensions of "consumption: joint vs. individual" and xclusion from consumption: feasible us. infeasible." It is possible to link the economic considerations with the political judgements by reinterpreting the latter dimension in the sense of "exclusion from consumption: desirable us. undesirable." In the light of this interpretation, the main developments in the history of charging practices are reviewed. Finally, the future of charging practices is evaluated by focusing on the dif ferences between pivate and public interests in the production and utihzation of information.