Cost‐benefit analysis: a disparagement of its misuse and misexplanation
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to argue that when managing strategically, a library administrator might want to use cost‐benefit analysis to justify spending and, consequently, would need to understand this methodology.Design/methodology/approach – The paper discusses and gives examples to illustrate how others have needed a better knowledge of cost‐benefit analysis.Findings – It is helpful for library managers to have a proper knowledge of cost‐benefit analysis.Practical implications – This provides one methodology that librarians should consider when contemplating what purchases to make.Original/value – This paper will help librarians better manage their libraries by making them aware of cost‐benefit analysis.
Bibliotecas universitarias y costes. ¿Valemos lo que costamos?
It is not easy to make an assessment of the cost of university libraries. The purpose of this study is to analyse the data we have today and propose ways in which progress could be made in order to reach more objective conclusions. To do this, direct and indirect costs of libraries are considered, detailing the method of Activitybased costing (ABC). Then the methods of evaluation of these costs by means of the cost-benefit measurement and the measurement of efficiency are explained, with A special section dedicated to the relationship between quality and efficiency. Finally, there is an analysis of a series of four indicators that show the current situation of university libraries in Spain, giving a series of proposals for the future.
Periodical Ownership versus Fulltext Online Access: A Cost-Benefit Analysis
Abstract This article compares the costs and benefits of periodical ownership against online access of a fulltext periodicals database in one academic library. A fulltext database allows the library to offer more than twice as many journals as it does currently for a 15% increase in expenditures.