Do you have to pay to use the library?

mom-from-missouri · #1 (**permalink**) 12-11-2006, 07:58 AM

Our county has no library. (Keeps getting voted down by taxpayers) We are 8 miles from the county line, and 10 miles from a town in the other county which has a library. Anyway, Saturday we went to get library cards. Since we don't live in that county, they wanted $20 per library card for children, and $25 for adults. The cards expire after 12 months. I couldn't believe it. Anyway, the gal behind the counter gets her boss, because I didn't think that was right. She tells me, to get a card, we have to either live, work or go to school in Clay county. (First girl didn't tell me all of that...) So, we got our cards for free as my daughters go to school there, and I work there 2 hours a day doing the aftercare program. They wanted proof-we just came from a basket ball game, and the girls had on their cheerleading uniforms-so that was there proof. I had none-but as we were leaving, a parent who happened to be on the library board came in and she vouched that I did work there-so then they gave me a card.
Does anyone else have to pay to use their library (other than on your personal property taxes)??

Ima saver · #2 (**permalink**) 12-11-2006, 08:02 AM

No and we can use the library in the other county for free also.

threebeansalad · #3 (**permalink**) 12-11-2006, 08:05 AM

What a shame! I think I read in the fine print for our library that there is a fee if you don't live in the region (the regional library system spans a few counties), but as far as I know all the counties have libraries, so no one would have the need to leave the regional library.

I don't blame the library for charging out of county / region residents, though. Their burden is increased by having neighboring counties whose residents don't want to fund a library. You obviously sound like you would support a library in your county but shame on the residents who don't! Shame on the politicians who let a libraries become a negotiable public good. Libraries are a fundamental part of the community.

pearlieq · #4 (**permalink**) 12-11-2006, 08:25 AM

Ours is free (I think there might be a small charge for movies, but I'm not sure.) and we just voted to build a new branch which is much more convenient to my house!

I can understand why they'd need to charge as well and the fee they were asking doesn't sound unreasonable. I don't think there's anything wrong with charging a fee to non-residents. Someone has to pay for the library!

JanH · #5 (**permalink**) 12-11-2006, 08:55 AM

We moved a few streets over and into a different town. Our new town library carries a lot of the newer books so I like them for that. But the old town's library was large and carried a lot of material needed for things like research when the kids were in school and before they could use the computers for the work. So we kept our membership in the old library. The new one is free, the old one is a fee. I pay once a year. It used to be for a family membership--about $30. Now I just pay for myself, I believe it is $20. I could have the books sent over as part of the intralibrary loan programs, but I love my old library and don't mind spending an afternoon browsing. They got me through many a tough time. The fee is because I no longer live in the town--even though I still live in the county.

PrincessPerky · #6 (**permalink**) 12-11-2006, 09:25 AM

I live in Charlotte Mecklenburg county..rather large here in NC...we have a ton of libraries and they are all free....

But like others said, libraries are tax supported, and not too cheap to run.

Though for your sake I am glad you were able to get a membership free this time, and I hope your local community decides to get one.

genmed · #7 (**permalink**) 12-11-2006, 09:26 AM

There's no charge to use to library even in other counties here, regardles of where you live/work as long as it's in state.

rduell · #8 (**permalink**) 12-11-2006, 09:28 AM

In our library system the individual libraries set the policy for library cards and charges. I believe that most of our libraries only charge those from out of state.

Fern · #9 (**permalink**) 12-11-2006, 09:36 AM

No, it's free cus we pay thru our property tax dollars. All book, dvd and video rentals also free.

mom-from-missouri · #10 (**permalink**) 12-11-2006, 09:59 AM

For our whole family to get cards, it would be $150. Next year, after these cards expire, we will have to pay as by that time we will be homeschooling, and my children will not be attending school in that county.
I understand where they are coming from in charging, but...Here is the rest of my side. We own property in 5 different counties. We pay library taxes in 4 out of the 5. (The one we live in is the one we don't). So, we are paying taxes for 4 libraries which we can't use, even though we own property there, and pay their taxes, we don't live there, so they wouldn't give us a free card either. Now, for the 'kicker'. This particular library branch where we did get our cards, is in the same 'family' as 3 of the 4 we are paying taxes to on our property taxes (plus, we do all our shopping in that county as well). SO, in reality, we are paying more in property taxes as library tax than many of the people who acutally live there--including people who rent in that county and are not paying it at all!

JanH · #11 (**permalink**) 12-11-2006, 10:23 AM

Wow, $150 is a LOT of money for a service. You'd think they would have lower fees to attract more people from other places. Yikes.

PRICEPLUS · #12 (**permalink**) 12-11-2006, 12:21 PM

Our library is supported by tax dollars so it is not really free. I know that the libraries in the town are part of a larger regional system. We can get materials form those libraries but I am not sure if we can take them out directly!

disneysteve · #13 (**permalink**) 12-11-2006, 02:16 PM

Our township library is free for township residents, but people who live elsewhere do have to pay. If we want to use the county library, there is a fee.

simpleyme · #14 (**permalink**) 12-11-2006, 02:46 PM

yes it is 60 dollars a year ,we do pay a library tax and that is why it would only be 60 dollars ,we live outside the city and it is a city library
the amount of tax we pay to the library is puny only 10 bucks a year,but everyone in our county pays it even those who cannot use the library do to living outside the city ,so i think it is unfair that we pay the tax

I did not buy a membership to the library as most of the books ,and DVDS are not in English
anyway

tabbycat31 · #15 (**permalink**) 12-11-2006, 07:14 PM

the library in my hometown is supported by a county system. YOu can use the library free of charge in the whole county.

The other library I have a card at charges $1 for DVD rentals, but everything else is free.

That being said, I've had "lazy fines" from time to time at about a dime a day.

MonkeyMama · #16 (**permalink**) 12-12-2006, 05:56 AM

We have city and county libraries. Many in abundance no paying. (Except the insane taxes to fund them).

PrincessPerky · #17 (**permalink**) 12-12-2006, 07:20 AM

MFM do you ha e to get a card for everyone?

WE have one card for us, the limit has to be huge because we take out so many books every few weeks.

tgavin71 · #18 (**permalink**) 12-14-2006, 03:20 AM

No we don't have to pay...unless of course you forget to return items and have to pay an overdue fee!

PRICEPLUS · #19 (**permalink**) 12-15-2006, 12:54 AM

Just got a 3% increase in the library tax!