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Volume 12 Number 7/8
ISSN 1082-9873
D-Lib Funding
D-Lib published its tenth anniversary issue one year ago this month. Robert Kahn, President and CEO of CNRI, wrote in that issue's editorial
Funding the continued production of the magazine has been, perhaps, its biggest challenge. While the initial funding from DARPA covered most of the early costs, DARPA was unable to continue the support indefinitely. Subsequent funding from NSF helped greatly, but covered perhaps half the ongoing costs, with CNRI picking up the other half.
Over the past year we have had a number of conversations about D-Lib support with various organizations, almost all of whom have an appreciation of the magazine's value to its community and an understanding of the costs involved, but none of which have an answer to the funding questions. The government support referenced in the above quote has now ended and, without a major change in intent, appears unlikely to be renewed. As a result, our ability to continue to offer the magazine in anything like its current state without charge to either readers or authors may also be coming to an end.
We would welcome financial contributions to the magazine, which would reduce the need for subscription charges and, if substantial enough, could allow the magazine to continue in its present form. We are well aware that a fee structure would introduce significant changes in the basic character of the magazine, with restrictions on either who could read it or who could write for it. Nevertheless, at some point, we simply must find a way to cover expenses so that the magazine can go forward on its own merits.
We will be exploring subscription and author fees over the upcoming months. Comments on those approaches or any other funding path are more than welcome. These can be sent to the D-Lib address, <dlib@cnri.reston.va.us>, or directly to me at <llannom@cnri.reston.va.us>.
Laurence Lannom
Director of Information Management Technology
Corporation for National Research Initiatives
Copyright© 2006 Corporation for National Research Initiatives
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