Re: [LIS-Forum] Profit and Value: UNESCO helps preserve Indian documentary heritage

I will give my comments later, but just a short intervention in the discussion.

Those who are yet to be convinced by such "Give Away"  business
models, should watch a presentation video of Chris Anderson,
Editor-in-Chief, "Wired", at NOKIA World 2007.

http://snipr.com/23c37

(Take care of your download costs - Remember it is a Video and does
not talk about open access in specific)

--Sukhdev Singh, NIC.

On Thu, Apr 17, 2008 at 12:08 PM, Suvarsha Walters  wrote:
> Yes, specialized manpower is indeed required for handling rare materials. And if necessary we should aquire those skills or find others who can do it for us.
>
>  You may charge the users for accessing the collection, physical or digital. But you may also take advantage of the new economy and give free access and generate income from elsewhere.
>
>  The point I am trying to make is why are we so concerned about private organizations making profit? Should we stop the digitization process just because someone will make profit out of it? If we stop ourselves just because of this, are we not coming in the way of serving our user?
>
>  Our questions should be "How much will it cost us?", "Is there a better/cheaper way?", rather than "How much will it profit him?", "Why should I let him make the profit?"
>
>  Sukhdev Singh's views coincide with mine, if you read carefully. He also says, by giving many examples, that free does not mean it's not valuable or nobody cares of it. You can give free services and content and also make money from it (the example I gave was of the email service that I use for free).
>
>  Thanks,
>
>
>  Suvarsha
>
>  Information Analyst,
>  HP Labs India
>
>
>
>
> --- On Thu, 4/17/08, Kshipra Sardesai  wrote:
>
>  > From: Kshipra Sardesai 
>  > Subject: Re: [LIS-Forum] Profit and Value: UNESCO helps preserve Indian documentary heritage
>
> > To: suvarsha_w@yahoo.com
>  > Cc: LIS-Forum@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in
>  > Date: Thursday, April 17, 2008, 12:48 AM
>
>
> > Dear Madam
>  >
>  > The use of archives is really by special users only and to
>  > maintain these
>  > archives You have to be very particular.These archives are
>  > mainly
>  > kept with Museums,Special Libraries,Archieve Centers
>  > ,public Libraries etc
>  > which require trained and skilled manpower.The users are
>  > ready for a
>  > paid quality work and it should be not profitmaking but the
>  > value like Old
>  > is Gold.Web services are no doubt free and also value added
>  > information but
>  > also look at what Mr Sukndev Singh conveys.
>  >
>  >
>  > Regards
>  > Kshipra Sardesai
>  >
>  >
>  > On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 12:40 PM, Suvarsha Walters
>  > 
>  > wrote:
>  >
>  > > This discussion is interesting - of making profit and
>  > creating value.
>  > >
>  > > A lot of the web is free, yet we use it everyday. It
>  > is not devalued just
>  > > because it is free. And again, there are a lot of
>  > people making huge profits
>  > > (money) by providing things for free - for example
>  > this very email service
>  > > that I use for free. It is about creating value - if
>  > it is valuable, people
>  > > will use it and you can also make money with it.
>  > >
>  > > A collection of rare material may not be of value to
>  > everyone - but it is
>  > > of value to a specific set of users - historians,
>  > antropologists etc. and it
>  > > is of great value to a nation in general.
>  > >
>  > > If our library has such a collection then we are
>  > entrusted with two
>  > > responsiblities (our value add for the salary we get)
>  > - preserve it and make
>  > > it accessible.
>  > >
>  > > Now how we do it efficienty is left to us - get funds,
>  > raise funds;
>  > > outsource, do it inhouse.
>  > >
>  > > If an external vendor can do it for you more
>  > efficiently (for example for
>  > > a small collection it may work out cheaper), then you
>  > should go ahead with
>  > > it. The vendor making profits is not our concern at
>  > all, as long as he
>  > > delivers for what he is being paid for. That is his
>  > value add to society.
>  > >
>  > > Thanks and regards,
>  > >
>  > > Suvarsha
>  > >
>  > > Information Analyst,
>  > > HP Labs India
>  > > Bangalore
>  > >
>  > > --- On Wed, 4/16/08, Mailing List Admin
>  > 
>  > > wrote:
>  > >
>  > > > From: Mailing List Admin
>  > 
>  > > > Subject: Re: [LIS-Forum] UNESCO helps preserve
>  > Indian documentary
>  > > heritage
>  > > > To: lis-forum@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in
>  > > > Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2008, 12:24 AM
>  > > > Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:52:49 +0530
>  > > > From: Kshipra Sardesai
>  > 
>  > > >
>  > > > Madam,
>  > > > I also support your views. There is no imprtance
>  > or real
>  > > > valuation of rare
>  > > > things unless we priced it.I found whatever is
>  > free to
>  > > > public no one
>  > > > bothers
>  > > > for the services offered by such organisations
>  > like Library
>  > > > which are doing
>  > > > a great job of making such things available to
>  > public.The
>  > > > profit makers are
>  > > > always in search of ways out to make
>  > money.Government may
>  > > > fix some nominal
>  > > > charges on such rare collection and can divert
>  > this revenue
>  > > > for
>  > > > digitisation
>  > > > and infrastructure required for libraries to give
>  > best
>  > > > services.
>  > > >
>  > > > Kshipra Sardesai
>  > > > Asstt Librarian
>  > > > RBI, Bandra
>  > > > Mumbai 400051
>  > > >
>  > > > On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 5:24 PM, Mailing List
>  > Admin <
>  > > > mailman@ncsi.iisc.ernet.in> wrote:
>  > > >
>  > > > > Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:19:29 +0530
>  > > > > From: Susmita Chakraborty
>  > > > 
>  > > > >
>  > > > > With  regard to Mr. Leonard Fernandes'
>  > comments, I
>  > > > have a question to ask
>  > > > > the LIS community.
>  > > > >
>  > > > > When some (rare) resources are uploaded so
>  > that
>  > > > everyone can have it for
>  > > > > free, is it not defeating the purpose if
>  > someone
>  > > > (publisher or any other
>  > > > > other profitmaking body)  tries to earn
>  > profit from
>  > > > it?
>  > > > > On the other hand, I feel that libraries
>  > having such
>  > > > rich archives must
>  > > > > go
>  > > > > the digital way(digitization and
>  > dissemination of rare
>  > > > materials)  by
>  > > > > exploring state/national government or other
>  > funds and
>  > > > then try to derive
>  > > > > some revenue from these resources to cover
>  > the running
>  > > > costs of those
>  > > > > libraries.
>  > > > >
>  > > > > In these days of finance-crunch, it may
>  > point out one
>  > > > way to break-even.
>  > > > >
>  > > > > Regards.
>  > > > >
>  > > > > Susmita Chakraborty
>  > > > > Bengal Engineering & Science University,
>  > Shibpur,
>  > > > Howrah, W.B.
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