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Originally Posted by hildea
Ah, that's reassuring. It's not so bad as I thought, then. But it seems like the free library service isn't very good, if many of you decide to pay for some extended service?
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I suppose it depends on where in the country (or out of it) someone is located. I feel no need to have anything beyond my own local county library, it's one I would consider very good. I did pay for one once when library ebooks were a newer thing as our local one was still building up and I wanted access to more (and potentially fewer holds/waits).
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Well, not quite like it. As I understand it, your library payment is like when I pay for Spotify or Netflix: It gives the people who pay access to the service.
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As an additional option. Although in some places there may still be some local library systems that don't do digital so paying may be some folks only option if they want library ebooks. Some places libraries are much better funded than others...
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But when I pay for libraries through taxes, I pay not just for myself, but for everyone to have access to the library, including poor people. This means the whole population gets better access to culture and education, and that makes for a better and more prosperous society for everyone, including me.
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Which is how it works in most places in the US too, but most library systems are very regional and aren't statewide or country based. Where I am our local libraries are done by the county I live in and primarily funded by property taxes in that county (although they do get some money from our state as well).