Perhaps things such as image resolution and scale, which can be complex and expensive when aiming for the highest-possible quality, could be adjusted to suit the character of materials and their anticipated use. For example, paintings may dictate higher resolution capture than a numismatic collection. Finally, we should not let short-term concerns about delivery dominate thinking about how to digitize and at what level of quality. We should be developing guidelines for minimal levels of digital capture at the same time that we are monitoring the different type of access that our users are demanding. Discussion of Technology Costs Academic librarians argued that cost recovery is becoming an imperative and that collaboration is touted as one way of cutting costs.
Economies of scale provide one of the strongest motivations for collaboration.
The librarians conceded that economies of scale have yet to be realized but asserted that the desire to avoid duplication is a strong factor in encouraging institutional cooperation. Looking at the example of off-site storage to control the costs of traditional book access, they proposed that a similar model could be used to control costs of storage and retrieval of digital data. Academic librarians also expressed concern about whether society will continue to transfer resources to digitization, especially since such efforts remain a cottage industry. Doubts linger about compelling incentives for collaborating. Moreover, technology has given users a sense of entitlement, even though there is no public recognition of the real costs of digital services.