Proposed Budget Breakdown

As a means to help along any potential grant writing or funding efforts in the future, on this page I’m going to compile an itemized list of estimated start-up and operating expenses for The Biblioblog Reference Library, if it were to be “done right.”

Currently, the entire project is a volunteer effort with no budget, no paid staff and an out-of-pocket operating cost of ~$150/year (domain registration + hosting costs).

(Update Aug 14: To clarify something pertaining to a concern that was voiced the Library is not in any danger of disappearing anytime soon if this budget isn’t met as I am having no trouble absorbing its *current* costs. This budget outlines what is necessary to turn this volunteer effort into a formal one.)

All amounts are in USD.

Equipment & Startup Costs:

• ~$1,300 to ~$2,500 - Server
• $1,300 minimum: Mac Mini (2.0GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7, 4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM – 2x2GB, 2X500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm, OS X Lion Server, AppleCare Protection Plan)
• $2,500 ideal: Mac Mini (2.0GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7, 8GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM, 2x256GB Solid State Drive [RAID1], OS X Lion Server, AppleCare Protection Plan)

Yearly Expenses:

• ~$15 – Domain Registration (Godaddy)

Monthly Expenses:

• ~$120 – Data Connection (FiOS 25/25 Mbit/sec, Static IP)
• ~$2,000 to ~$4,000 – Staff
• ~$2,000 minimum – Part Time Librarian ($25/hr, 20 hrs/wk)
• ~$4,000 ideal – Full Time Librarian ($25/hr, 40 hrs/wk)
• ~$25 – Utilities (Electricity)

Total Expenses:

• First Year: ~$26,780/min, $51,980/ideal
• Subsequent Years: ~$25,980/min, ~$49,480/ideal

Non-Essential Wish List:

• ~$15/month – Steve’s Coffee Fund

Some things that I have contemplated as a means to subsidize the project include:

• Obtaining a grant (which would require either working with a qualifying institution, or incorporating a non-profit organization).
• Starting a “Friends of the Library” program with added benefits for dues-paying amici.
• Advertising (which is not an option in the Library’s current state as I feel it would not be ethical to put advertisements on other peoples’ content without explicit consent).
• A web store (which would include authors’ books and Biblioblog memes printed on merchandise; this is not a very large potential revenue stream).
• Starting a related publishing house where vetted bibliobloggers may physically and digitally (via Kindle, iBooks, etc.) publish their work (which would also have the added benefit of having a vast pool of potential peer and book reviewers).

The responsibilities of the Librarian would include (as this is pretty much what I’m already doing):

• Maintaining and developing the website as a whole.
• Maintaining and developing the Archivist system.
• Monitoring the Archivist system in real time to ensure that it is operating correctly.
• Managing the blogs list (acquisitions, removals, cataloging, editorial decisions).
• Monitoring the blog feeds.
• Keeping a familiarity with the archived collection as a whole (as an actual Reference Librarian).
• Maintaining a list of topical indexes about various Biblioblogging issues.
• Maintaining all of the Portals.
• Maintaining a list of Featured Articles of exemplary content (which will eventually be a separate Portal to itself).
• This could eventually entail starting a peer-reviewed Biblioblogging journal or a popular magazine as a means to encourage, share and reward quality contributions.
• Keeping all Library correspondence and inquiries (via mail, email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) in order and up to date.
• Promoting the blogs to increase traffic, discussion, and involvement from interested individuals and the public as a whole.
• This would eventually entail setting up booths and sessions at meetings such as SBL and other venues.
• Develop new programs and metrics to follow trends in Biblioblogging.
• Act as a liaison to the Press about current Biblioblogging issues.
• This would eventually entail organizing a battery of expert bloggers who are willing to contribute to press releases as well as talk directly to the Press.
• Keep a record of new developments within the Library (i.e. the blog you’re reading now).
• Maintain Press contacts.
• More…

So… now the question is, who thinks this project is worth it?