Introduction to The European Library business model

Aubéry Escande

Linking library content…

Service of all 48 European National libraries to provide access to their catalogues & digital collections via 1 central, multi-lingual web-interface (= PORTAL)

Libraries Users Alternate point of access Exposure to a wider

audience Platform for collaboration

Single point of access Search multiple libraries

and collections Multi-lingual interface

www.TheEuropeanLibrary.org

www.TheEuropeanLibrary.org

A pan-European service…

Exhibition foyer

Treasures of the national libraries

Napoleonic Wars exhibition

Multilingual portal in 36 languages

e.g. FAQs in Bosniane.g. First Time User

Guide in Armenian

Multilingual collection descriptions

The European Library governanceCENL

Conference of European National Librarians

Executive CommitteeThe European LibraryManagement Committee

The European LibraryContacts Working Group

Technical Working Group

Editorial Working Group

Metadata Working Group

Marketing Working Group

The European Library Office

Working Groups

Basic Participants vs. Full Participants

Basic participants rights and obligations– Library details (opening hours, collections, online services,

exhibitions currently held and major treasures)Full participants rights and obligations :

– collections and resources access via a combination of centralised and distributed indexes of partner metadata

– metadata including collection-level metadata conforming to the TEL Application Profile

– administrative and technical infrastructure to ensure efficient operations, and effective policies, decisions and governance

– marketing to the search engines, academic libraries and learned bodies worldwide

Basic Participants vs. Full Participants

Current business model

Subscription by individual libraries

3-year commitment Fee bands Fee level determined by

– Economic indicators of country• Gross national income per

capita• Purchasing power parity• Gross national income• Gross domestic product• Population size of country

– Library resources• Number of full-time equivalent

(FTE) staff per library

Issues with current model

Economic crisis– Fluctuating exchange rates– Library budget cuts

Perception of fairness of current structure

Future growth of The European Library – Library domain aggregator into

Europeana– Other roles e.g. National

Libraries Global

Decisions on business model

For 2009 – Fees remain unchanged

For 2010– Existing formula retained– Fresh data used

• 2006-2008 time series World Bank

For 2011– Current business model

reviewed

Q & A’s

Thank you