Library Use Value Calculator

What is Regent University Library worth to you?

How much would you pay out-of-pocket for the services you receive from your library?

  • Choose "weekly", "bi-weekly" or "monthly."
  • Fill in the number of items or hours in the list below (leave the items blank if they do not apply to you).
  • Your yearly benefit will show up at the top of the calulator and your weekly, bi-weekly or monthly value will show up at the bottom.

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Library
Value Calculator
My Yearly Benefit:

Libraries provide a valuable community resource.

To find out how much value you receive from your library, complete the following survey... you may be surprised!

How often do you visit the library?

  • weekly
  • bi-weekly
  • monthly

How many of each item/service do you typically use?

Books Borrowed $74.83 $0
eBooks Downloaded $9.99 $0
Magazines used in-house $9.96 $0
Journals used in-house $49.00 $0
Reference Question $5.00 $0
Research consultation/assistance $20.00 $0
Database Searches $25.00 $0
eJournal Articles Downloaded $25.00 $0
Computer Use (hours) $12.00 $0
Wireless (Wi-Fi) Access (hours) $1.99 $0
DVDs borrowed $3.00 $0
Interlibrary Loan Books $30.00 $0
Books Through Document Delivery $12.00 $0
Meeting/Study Room Use (hours) $25.00 $0
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The values in the calculator were determined by the estimated cost of obtaining each of the items without the use of the library.

Book Borrowed
Average purchase cost of a new (hardback) book
eBook Downloaded
Starting cost of an Amazon eBook
Magazine used in-house
Average subscription cost for one issue based on a cycle of 26 issues per year
Journal used in-house
Average subscription cost for one issue
Reference Question
15 minutes with a Librarian earning $40,000/year
Research consultation/assistance
1 hour with a Librarian earning $40,000/year                              
Database Search
Median cost for a single search in an Academic database
eJournal Article downloaded
Electronic Resource usage statistics: average cost per full-text document retrieved
Hour of computer use (Internet, Word, etc.)
Cost of hourly computer usage. $0.20/minute at FedEx Office.
Wireless (Wi-Fi) Access
2 hours at Starbucks                               
DVD Borrowed
Sample non-new release rental at a video store (new release: $5.00)
Interlibrary Loan book
$ Service cost + $ UPS shipping + $ labor plus originating library's cost
Book through Document Delivery
“What Goes Around” by Susanna Ashton, Chronicle of Higher Education, March 14, 2007
Hour of meeting room use
Hourly rate at FedEx Office

This calculator was written by Luke T. Charde. It was inspired by a spreadsheet, created by the Massachusetts Library Association and the javascript adaptation and improvements by the Chelmsford Public Library and the Maine State Library.
Librarians & webmasters: put this calculator on your website!

Last Updated 4/09/2010