Skip to main content

Part of the book series: International Economic Association Series ((IEA))

  • 19 Accesses

Abstract

Except for the introduction of the photocopying machine, there have been no significant developments in library operations for nearly a century. Libraries are highly labour-intensive organizations, with salaries and wages constituting between 50 to 60 per cent of their expenditures. Because of a lack of increase in productivity of library staffs, the per-unit rate of rise of costs in academic libraries in the United States averaged six per cent per year in the two decades following 1950, whereas, during the same period, the wholesale price index rose about one per cent per year.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Refernces

  1. Baumol, W. J. and Marcus, Matityahu. Economics of Academic Libraries (Washington, D.C.: American Council on Education, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Uselding, Paul. ‘Elisha K. Root, Forging, and the “American System”’ Technology and Culture, 15 (Oct. 1974), pp. 543–568.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Ibid.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Rogers, R. D. and Weber, D. C. University Library Administration (New York: H. W. Wilson Co., 1971). p. 176.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Hewitt, Joe A. The Academic Library and On-line Cataloguing: a Study of the Charter Members of the Ohio College Library Center (Columbus, Ohio: The Ohio State University Libraries (In press)).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Baumol, William J. and Marcus Matityahu, Economics of Academic Libraries (Washington, D.C.: American Council on Education, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  7. National Center for Educational Statistics, Statistics of Public Libraries Serving Areas With at Least 25,000 Inhabitants, 1968: (Washington, D.C.: US Government Printing Office, HE 5.215: 15068–68, May, 1970).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Shoffner, Ralph M. ‘The Economics of National Automation of Libraries’, Library Trends, 18:4, (April, 1970), p. 448–63.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Resnikoff, Howard L. and Dolby, James L. Access (Los Altos, California: R & D Consultants Company, May, 1971).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Mark Perlman

Copyright information

© 1977 International Economic Association

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Kilgour, F.G. (1977). Economics of Computerized Library Networks. In: Perlman, M. (eds) The Organization and Retrieval of Economic Knowledge. International Economic Association Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-03325-6_10

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics