Practice Good Theory

With the economic downturn, a lot of public libraries are pressed for funding. Some have cut services, others have closed. In California, a $80 "out-of-county fee" has gone into effect . In Wisconsin, they're considering charging for CDs and DVDs In Topeka, they're adding late fees where they had none In Ridgewood, they will charge businesses (like tutors) who use their meeting rooms Prescott, Arizona is discussing usage fees A quote from a director of the American Library Association, says Selected ALA members will begin charging an annual fee of $10 for each issued library card. Each borrowed book will cost $1 and we think that’s fair. Use of a whole book for more than a week, well it’s quite fair when one considers the retail cost avoided All this is a good thing, and a far cry from the situation during the housing boom of a the early 2000's when a lot of libraries took on debt and expanded. I hope it sticks.