A study on the library reference service fees

도서관봉사요금에 관한 일고찰

User fees have been employed by libraries as far back as the mid-1800s in both United States and England. By the late 1800s and early : 1900s, the charging of user fees for some library products and services had become a reality in many public and academic libraries. Yet the practice has created controversy when computer-aided reference service began to charge especially in the publicly funded libraries. There are two extream arguments on library reference service fees : one is for and the other is against. most fee o n.0, pponents base their stand on morality. They argue that charging fees for any service is wrong because it violates the user's right of access to information and regard it as an act of decrease human life chances as well as an act of censor. But those who favour fees argue that it is necessary to separate the rhetoric from the reality and to distinguish what libraries are from what they do. The study revealed that library has two options. One is strict free of charge and the other is charging for selected library services. Whatever options the library may take, library had to decide an overall reference service policy. The level and scope of service, audience, necessary fund (who and how) and many other physical and metaphysical things must be considered. However, the first option will necessary be to limit services while there is no loss of traditional philosophical service element. Yet, if to provide a wide range of choices and to create conditions more hospitable to competition from the private information sector and for better evolutional selection, the second option(fee-based service) gives more benefit to the users while there is a loss of fundamental service philosophy.