Cultural industries and libraries : an economic assessment

Cultural industries have typical features ; if their products, which are not functional, can be reproduced, they cannot be substituted : books, press, phonograms, films, videograms. Besides, they are subject to publishing requirements, therefore particularly fragile. Those industries are now being supported as such by the authorities. Through the study of several European cultural policies, the author shows that such a support remains sector-based and limited : support to products, to sale and sometimes to promotion and distribution. Media centers play a special part in economics of the cultural channels, as they offer a wide panel of goods. Analysing such a role from an economic point of view may alter the traditional approach to library.
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