Center for Breastfeeding Information
Betty Crase and Carol Huotari
From: LEAVEN, Vol. 33 No. 4, August-September 1997, pp. 86-87
Dear LLLI,
We recently wrote a grant
to send 13 Central Ohio, USA, Leaders to the LLLI Conference. Facts
and figures were needed to support the application so I contacted LLLI
Headquarters to find out if any studies documented La Leche League's
success helping mothers breastfeed. Since we were requesting the grant
from a doctors' organization, we wanted to show that La Leche League
contributes more effectively to breastfeeding success than other community
services.
When I contacted the
Funding Development Department, I learned that there are studies which
show that mother-to-mother support groups--not just LLL, but a variety
of groups--are more effective than other groups and services. I also
learned that to get copies of those references, I would need to contact
the Center for Breastfeeding Information (CBI) and that I would be charged
a fee.
Since we intend to continue
writing grant applications and anticipate the need for similar information
in the future, I would like to know why the CBI charges Leaders for
its services and if the Board of Directors could see a way to change
that. I understand that there are costs involved in running the CBI
but there must be another way to fund this department other than asking
Leaders to foot the bill.
Terri Maloney Houston
Columbus, Ohio, USA
Dear Terri,
The Center for Breastfeeding
Information (CBI) is happy to supply Leaders with LLLI information and
resources that can be shared free of charge (within copyright limitations).
LLLI Position Statements, Information Letters, Selected Bibliographic
Lists, Brief Media Responses and Press Releases produced by the CBI
are always available to Leaders for no fee. The CBI staff has already
gathered and prepared this information so it can easily be provided
to anyone who calls.
When Leaders request other
types of information, such as breastfeeding statistics, we are able
to oblige without a charge if the answer is readily at hand. Indeed,
the vast majority of inquiries are handled free of charge.
When a Leader calls the CBI
to request general information, she is usually referred to her Area
Professional Liaison (APL) Leader or other Area resource personnel.
The A/APL is an important Leader resource providing information above
and beyond what is available through LLLI publications. The CBI keeps
Division/Affiliate PL Program Administrators up-to-date, who in turn
make current information available to A/APLs. The A/APL is also in a
position to provide Leaders with ongoing help and support, something
the CBI is not able to provide.
The CBI is designed to be
the last link in the LLLI resource chain, mainly available to the Division/Affiliate
Administrators. It has a staff of only two to serve thousands of Leaders
and others worldwide. When Leaders seeking information go through their
PL Program, no charge is incurred. This has proved to be the most efficient
use of our resources. In addition, a flow of information along
the chain of communication has the benefit of dispersing resources throughout
the organization.
The LEADER'S HANDBOOK (p.
215) explains when the CBI must charge Leaders for its services:
There is no fee involved
in researching individual questions that come through regular LLL
channels. Leaders who request reference material or background information
for individual research needs or personal counseling situations will
be expected to pay the usual fees.
Time and money are the reasons
why. It can take many hours or days to gather information on new questions
or questions not yet thoroughly explored. Expenses are determined by
the research time of salaried staff and the number of photocopies needed
to handle the inquiry. If research articles are going to be shared with
mothers, health care providers or others, the CBI is required by law
to remit copyright fees through the Copyright Clearance Center. These
fees vary by publisher and range from $1.50 per copy for an article
from Pediatrics to $11.50 for the Journal of Advanced Nursing.
The CBI must remit the entire copyright fee to the Copyright Clearance
Center. This is an issue we must take seriously. There has been an increase
in the number of lawsuits in the U.S. concerning copyright violations,
and many have involved educational institutions.
If a Leader is conducting
research, naturally LLLI wants to help. While the basic CBI search and
copy fees still apply, we are able to waive copyright fees if the articles
will not leave her hands. However, if an article will be given to non-Leaders,
copyright fees are required. This is why we advise Leaders to have people
asking for published research information contact LLLI directly so that
they incur the fees for the documentation they are requesting.
The CBI is not supported
by grants or other sources of funding at this time. It costs money to
get information into the CBI and it costs money to distribute it. A
single professional journal subscription may cost LLLI $250 (US) a year.
Current CBI income covers only about one tenth of its total budget.
The Board of Directors plans on technological upgrades for the CBI which
should facilitate more rapid and less costly searches. These upgrades
will be funded by contributions to "LLLI Capital Improvements."
For now, Leaders who make
individual requests for information that require research will be asked
to pay the costs. It is the hope of the Board and the CBI that someday
the CBI will be adequately funded and staffed to provide faster, less
expensive services to Leaders.
Leaders should also keep
in mind these free or low-cost resources.
The Funding Development Handbook,
No. 79F, $8 (US), provides Leaders with ideas for Group fundraising
as well as an entire chapter on grant writing. Sample letters from this
handbook can be supplemented with statistics available through a variety
of sources. LLLI conference attendance figures are available from the
Education and Outreach Department; LLLI budget or charitable status
information is available from the Funding Development Department. Leaders
can contact their Area Coordinator of Leaders (ACL) for Area information.
The LLLI Web site (http://www.lalecheleague.org/)
is a new, speedy, low-cost way for Leaders and the general public to
access information. The Public Relations Department includes materials
that have been produced by other LLLI departments including Funding
Development and the CBI. Many of the materials mentioned in the first
paragraph of this letter are available there. The [yearly] Annual Report,
which contains many statistics Leaders find helpful when filling out
grant applications, is also posted on the Web site.
Betty Crase
CBI Director
CBI Billing Schedule
The first 15 minutes of research
is $25 (US); it is also the minimum fee. Additional blocks of 15 minutes
are $15. Fax charges are extra - a $3 service fee plus $2 per page.
Shipping and handling are also assessed. If a customer wants a specific
article, we usually suggest consulting a local hospital or medical library
first. If the CBI sends the article, costs might be:
CBI Charges (in US dollars)
Minimum order $25.00
Photocopying - 5 pages @ $.20 1.00
Copyright fee 11.50
Shipping/Handling 3.00 $40.50
A typical request might be
for a bibliographic list on one or two subject categories. These could
be run within 15 minutes and, with shipping and handling, the cost would
total $28. Charges for most requests are $28. See LLLI Publication No.471
for a list of subject categories and more information.
[Editor's note: the entire
CBI is now available on the LLLI website,
free of charge.]
Related articles
Harding, P. Writing a Grant
to Attend the LLLI Conference. LEAVEN Aug/Sept 1996;55-56.
Huotari, C. Inside the CBI.
LEAVEN Jun/Jul 1996; 38.
Liotus, B. LLLI's
Annual Report. LEAVEN Jun/Jul 1997; 57.
Vance, L. Starfish and Conference
Fundraising. LEAVEN Oct/Nov 1996; 87.
Wolk, M. Keeping up-to-date.
LEAVEN Oct/Nov 1996; 88.
It is always helpful for
Leaders to share their successful grant-writing experiences in their
Area Leaders' Letters and LEAVEN (See "Grant
Funds Community Awareness" by Terri Maloney Houston[...])
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:31:57 UTC 2007.
