The Open Access Association? EAHIL's new model for sustainability

To discover a governance structure and a business model for the European Association for Health Information and Libraries (EAHIL) which will be economically sustainable in the medium term, arresting a long-term gradual decline in membership numbers and implementing new revenue streams to sustain association activity.

Reviewed survival strategies of other professional associations, investigated potential of emerging interactive web technologies, investigated alternative revenue streams based around the 'franchise' of the annual EAHIL conferences and workshops. A fully worked-through and costed alternative structure was produced, based on abolition of the subscription, web-based procedures and functions, increased income from advertising and sponsorship and a large measure of member participation and engagement. Statutes and Rules of Procedure were rewritten to reflect the changes. This plan was put through the Association's approval cycle and implemented in 2005.

The new financial model has proved itself sustainable on the basis of the first 2 years' operations. The long-term gradual decline in membership was reversed, with membership numbers trebling across the EAHIL region. The software worked with minimal problems, including the online electoral process.

With no identified precedent from other professional associations, the changes represented a considerable risk, which was justifiable because long-term projections made it clear that continuing the traditional model was not viable. The result is a larger, healthier association with a stronger link to its membership. Long-term risks include the high level of member commitment and expertise. There are also important questions about scalability-diseconomies of scale probably limit the applicability of the overall open access model to larger associations.