TIME TO PAY - THE PRACTICES AND CHALLENGES OF CHARGING FOR DATABASE SEARCHES IN FINLAND

The fee policy, charging practices and problems of database searching in Finland are reviewed. The article is based on 24 interviews with ex perienced searchers in Spring 1991; one third working in public librar ies, one third in academic libraries and one third in special librarie s or information bureaux in the area of social sciences. No two interv iewees were from the same place of work. Each library sector follows d ifferent charging practices. At present, public library database searc hes are free of charge. In academic libraries fee policy and charging practices vary considerably from one library to another. In special li braries or information bureaux, current fee policy seems to be quite c lear; database searches are carried out mainly for the members of pare nt organisations but external use is restricted. Problems connected wi th charging vary accordingly. In public libraries non-charging policy has caused an accumulation of searches and resources for them are insu fficient. In academic libraries the foremost fee problems relate to th e heterogeneous and ambiguous nature of charging practice. In special libraries or information bureaux the situation is not so problematic. The fee policy, charging practice and problems faced differ between va rious organisations and so do the challenges that libraries will face in the near future as regards fees for database searches.