On Tue, 5 Jan 2010, Charles Matthews wrote:
Not
CCed since I have a UK point to make. Which is that government these
days have budgets to spend on website mass subscriptions for schools (as
here) or libraries. This doesn't get much scrutiny.
This is something to research. I benefit through my library card in
Cambridge by having about 20 online subscriptions. I'm not ungrateful,
but this is taxpayers' money, and there is politics attached. Can we
find out, in the UK, which ministry is paying? Out of what budget? How
much do they spend? What arguments do we have of the type "this money is
propping up an older model, could be spent better"?
There will be an election by May, and we know public spending is under
pressure. A position paper for WMUK would be good.
I'd suggest that some FoI requests to likely ministries/departments asking
how much they spend annually on such subscriptions, and which budget it
comes out of. I'd suggest the Home Office; Communities and Local Govt;
Business, Innovation and Skills; Children and Schools; Culture, Media and
Sport; Health; Wales and Scotland.
Chris
----
Chris McKenna
cmckenna(a)sucs.org
www.sucs.org/~cmckenna
The essential things in life are seen not with the eyes,
but with the heart
Antoine de Saint Exupery