Interesting Op-Ed Piece about the St Louis County Library

[Rylon]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

It does when the book budget gets cut. Ditch the jobs database and buy more books.

Does the library often not have the book your looking for?

[QuantumIguana]

We can't assume that the library providing a service means less money on books. The library providing a service probably means more funding for the library.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Rylon

Does the library often not have the book your looking for?

No idea, because I generally check out books that are available. Occasionally, I'll look at all the books they have and go on a waiting list.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by QuantumIguana

We can't assume that the library providing a service means less money on books. The library providing a service probably means more funding for the library.

We can when they shut down two branches and put in a state-of-the-art media center in the main branch.

[ProfCrash]

The Community Centers in my area actually require a drop in fee or a membership. They tend to be health clubs with pools and some meeting rooms. They run different classes, that you have to pay for, and camps, that you have to pay for. I have not seen one with computers or the like.

[QuantumIguana]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

We can when they shut down two branches and put in a state-of-the-art media center in the main branch.

No, we can't. If the library didn't have that media center, and instead it was provided through some other arm of local government, that wouldn't likely have saved branch libraries. They media center would have still come from local government funds. It hardly matters which hand holds the money when it comes out of the same pocket.

[wizwor]

Originally Posted by Nahgem

As an academic library paraprofessional, this is bullshit. The internet does not, and cannot yet, compete with a trained, professional librarian and the myriad of resources said librarian can access on behalf of the patron -- especially since the average patron doesn't know how to properly conduct said research anyway. Not everything is online and open access; I know because it is my job to help people find access to research that they need, and the very first place I search after I've exhausted my local library catalog is the internet. You know how much of the research that people want I've actually found online? Maybe half, and I'm being generous with my estimation here.

I hope you didn't pay much for that training. I mastered the card catalog and guide to periodic literature in 5th grade. I don't keep track, but I would guess that my success rate in finding answers on the internet is > 90%.

[Nahgem]

Originally Posted by wizwor

I hope you didn't pay much for that training. I mastered the card catalog and guide to periodic literature in 5th grade. I don't keep track, but I would guess that my success rate in finding answers on the internet is > 90%.

If you just want basic answers to questions, sure, it's probably all online. But you said "research" not "general information about a topic." Research often requires access to theses, primary source materials, genealogical records, local histories, things that are out-of-print, unpublished autobiographies and letters that have been given to a specific institution, articles that have been published in peer-reviewed publications, back issues of newspapers and periodicals, and that's just things off the top of my head that I've helped patrons find and/or have borrowed from other libraries on their behalf. Much of that isn't available online, and often when it is, it's either not affordable or requires some sort of institutional membership to access.

Originally Posted by wizwor

I think you need to sit in a library and interview the visitors. Your impoverished strawman is not spending evenings in the public library to improve himself. The patrons are checking out movies and video games for nada.

Originally Posted by Harry_Y

That's what I mostly see at mine.

So the hell what? Many of the people who check out library books are probably just doing it for basic entertainment too, and nobody seems to find that problematic. Is it just because they're not books that entertainment media is inappropriate for a library?

[tubemonkey]

Here's another waste of library funds:

New Library Program Offers Free Passes For Area Attractions

Discovery Museum? Asian Art Museum? Exploratorium? You can get passes if you're a library cardholder in Pacifica or San Mateo County.
~~~~~~~~~~

The Pacifica Sanchez and Sharp Park Libraries - as part of the San Mateo County Library system - has just announced a new program called Discover & Go, a service providing library cardholders with free passes to local museums and cultural institutions.

One of my libraries offers free passes to area museums also. But why stop here? Why not offer free passes to movie theaters? I'd rather watch a movie than go to an art museum.

[ProfCrash]

Probably because the museums asked for this in order to increase attendence and possibly membership. If people go for free and love it they might buy memberships increasing their revenue.

Movie theaters probably don't need that type of bump.

[Rylon]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Here's another waste of library funds:

New Library Program Offers Free Passes For Area Attractions

How do you know that money for the passes is coming from the libraries and not the museums?

[Harry_Y]

Originally Posted by Nahgem

.........

So the XXX what? Many of the people who check out library books are probably just doing it for basic entertainment too, and nobody seems to find that problematic. Is it just because they're not books that entertainment media is inappropriate for a library?

Maybe if they were not spending money on Games
they could use that to buy more books.

And Yes many times I have wanted an e-book and it is already
checked out I would tend to think a book is a bit less than a game.

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by Harry_Y

And Yes many times I have wanted an e-book and it is already checked out I would tend to think a book is a bit less than a game.

Remember that the library pays the same price as you or me for an (I hope) educational video game, but a lot more than we do for an eBook.

As for waiting for library eBooks, I think it is totally fair if I can read an eBook for free if I am patient but have to pay to get it right away.

[ProfCrash]

Or the games were donated. I know I donated old VHS tapes when I added new DVDs. So my library has a bunch of videos that they could sell at the annual book sale and the. Use that money to buy what people wanted.

[Rylon]

Originally Posted by Harry_Y

Maybe if they were not spending money on Games
they could use that to buy more books.

And Yes many times I have wanted an e-book and it is already
checked out I would tend to think a book is a bit less than a game.

I've had that problem with ebooks as well. Funny how my library has 18 print copies of The Hobbit, but only "3" electronic copies (with 7 people on the waiting list!).

In terms of funding priority, I would place electronic copies above entertainment dvds, but below print books. But I don't run the world.