Quote:
Originally Posted by DianNC
I'm in the U.S. and our only *fee* is for a library replacement card...$1.00, I believe, but that could vary by state. (And, as others have mentioned, the subsidizing through property taxes).
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Varies by city. SF charges $1 for adult replacement cards; Berkeley charges $2. Los Angeles is $3. I think I've seen as high as $5, but it's still a nominal fee to cover the nuisance of reprinting or filling out another form.
US libraries are supposed to be tax-supported; I don't want some features to become pay-per-use bonuses. It's supposed to be a cultural repository, not a book rental store. If they need more money to provide all the content the community wants, the community needs to either agree to pay more taxes (distributed among everyone) or support the occasional fundraiser (where those who can afford it pay more).
I *don't* want private groups to be encouraged to provide special, regular funding; we'd wind up with churches and corporations telling the libraries what they can & can't stock. (More than they already do.)