The economics of digital libraries

This paper presents an exploratory, speculative, and largely descriptive analysis of the economics of digital libraries. It first provides a definition of the concept of digital libraries. It reviews the sources For them and briefly discusses their economic properties. It then provides on analysis of the microeconomics of various forms of publications (including books, periodicals, databases, multi-media, and software). For each, capital costs and distribution costs are estimated for alternative means for distribution, with special emphasis on the Internet and World Wide Web. It concludes with a review of the sources of income to support those costs and with disucssion of issues related to pricing.