The real cost of ILS ownership

The purpose of this paper is to bring awareness to all factors that impact on the cost of an integrated library system (ILS).

Using a total cost of ownership approach, a bigger view of all the factors impacting on cost is explored.

The paper finds that many libraries focus entirely on direct costs when selecting a new ILS, rather than factoring in staff time and other long‐term costs that will be associated with choosing a system.

When the direct and indirect costs are considered, systems that have higher initial costs may be cheaper to own through their entire lifespan than other, seemingly cheaper, products.