TexShare Task
Force on Database Fees
Conference Call
June 1, 2005, 3:30 - 4:30
Joan Heath, Texas State University – San Marcos,
Meller Langford-Allen, Houston Area Library System
Sue Phillips, University of Texas, Austin
Martha Rinn, Texas Lutheran University
Martha Tandy, Weatherford College
Julie Todaro, Austin Community College
Ann Mason, Texas State Library & Archives Commission
Beverley Shirley, Texas State Library & Archives Commission
Objective: Recommend an adjustment to the TexShare Database fee schedule to reflect the financial situation of small, struggling institutions such as Jacksonville College and Ranger College.
The task force reviewed the following background information:
Task force members discussed the tension between providing support for struggling institutions and providing incentive for institutions to fund libraries at a level that allows for payment of the established fee.
Based upon a review of background information and discussion of these issues, the task force recommends against creating an additional assessment category. The task force endorses the $2500 assessment as fair and appropriate for libraries in that category. The task force believes that generating an additional assessment category would have the effect of codifying exemptions to the assessment, and members expressed concern over crafting an exemption that would be applicable to future circumstances. Additionally, task force members believe exemptions don’t provide institutions an incentive to improve. The task force recommends, therefore, that the appeals process continue to be the only mechanism for granting exemptions. They further recommend that more structure be applied to the appeals process, requiring an appeal to include:
While the task force was generally in agreement with the above recommendations, some members expressed concern that the $2500 fee was excessive as applied to Ranger College and Jacksonville College, as the combination of fte count and level of funding at these institutions, indicated that they were operating with enrollment and resources significantly below that of other TexShare academic libraries in that fee category.