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Re: making images with digital cameras



Why charge anything at all?  The rationale for charging for copies is usually that a service is being provided - staff time and materials - or paper, toner and leasing fees in the case of do-it-yourself copies.  As with selling any product or service, a profit is reasonable to support the mission of the instittion.
 
However - what is the difference in cost to the institution between a patron LOOKING at a document, and a patron making a digital photo?  If the ambient light is sufficient to require no flash (and therefore obviate issues of damage to light-sensitive documents) what is the rationale to charge anything?
 
I recently travelled out of town to a well-known collection to do research.  Due to fear of damaging the heavy folio volumes while photocopying, the library's policy is no longer to do photocopying.  Had I been able to digitally photograph the records I needed, I would have been finished in an hour, and could have transcribed them at my leisure at home.  Instead, I hand-copied the text, verbatim, over a period of two 8-hour days with no breaks.  I got the data I needed, but at the expense of an extended trip, and a severely cramped writing hand!  And of course, no-one "charged" me for copying the pages by hand...  so, why charge for copies made with digital cameras?
 
David E. Paterson