Free Library of Philadelphia discontinuing remote memberships

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by stumped

yes. one says "You must mail the application and a check [ sic] to the main library. "

very quaint, and a total non starter for non USA folks. Our UK Cheques were never designed for mailing to upstart countries who cant spell

Cheque is the standard spelling in British English, where it has been used since the earlier 19th century

- and we should know - we invented them

Actually, that's wrong. The check was invented in the US in 1681. In 1762 the first printed check's where in the UK in 1762

So the US wins and the term check is correct.

[JSWolf]

For the last two years, FLP accepted credit card/bank cards for payment for the out-of-state library card.

[MGlitch]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Actually, that's wrong. The check was invented in the US in 1681. In 1762 the first printed check's where in the UK in 1762

So the US wins and the term check is correct.

Not quite true Jon, particularly the invented part.

https://www.infoplease.com/business-...story-checking

Also even then, in 1681 it's somewhat likely they used the British spelling since there wouldn't have been a standard set for American English for nearly 200 more years in 1828.

[Mims]

I have a non-resident, non-fee card from FLP which they no longer offer but, so far, still honor. At the time I got it, I had more ebooks than my local library and what they had, I mostly didn’t want.

That FLP card meant a lot to me. At the time I was accompanying my husband on his brain tumor journey and that meant lots of time waiting. Waiting during Surgery, chemo tx, radiation tx, waiting in physical tx, speech therapy, every kind of “ologist” office there is, as well as airport time for the very frequent visits to Brain Tumor Clinic at Duke. Reading helped keep me sane.

I much preferred to browse the offerings on FLP overdrive to discover a new read than trying to search through Amazon or Kobo (most other sources had folded). But I quickly realized I was abusing the kindness (100+ books first year). So as I was paying my property taxes I noticed that my library tax was $70 and sent the same as a donation to FLP and tripled it the next year. Even though I rarely check out a book from FLP anymore, I continue the donations to support their work.

Got my tax bill last Friday, this year it is down to $49 for the library. They have improved their ebooks holdings and acquisitions but you can see that libraries are not a high priority here.

I got an email renewal reminder for my non-resident OCLS card this morning taken care of by a phone call.

TLDR. Thank you Philadelphia

[Fiat_Lux]

Originally Posted by Tomk2

I wonder what annual fee it would take to operate a national digital library. Little physical overhead to drain resources compared to a brick library, but also lacking mandatory contributions by non-patrons (ie: taxpayers).

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped has an annual budget of US$50,000,000. However, that figure was from a third party site that is subject to exaggeration. Furthermore, it didn't provide a year.

#####

But a desktop or laptop with at least 16 GB RAM.
Buy two external drives of at least 5 Terrabytes:
* One drive is for the Calibre Library;
* One drive is a backup;
Install Linux.
Install Calibre.
Configure Calibre to deliver books via email/OPD/etc.

The laptop/desktop is roughly US$500.
The external drives are US$120 each, from Costco.
The external drives will hold roughly 1 million books.

That setup will be adequate for SOHO or SMB digital library.
Will probably work for a school digital library.

Project Gutenberg will provide roughly 40,000 titles.

If you don't mind older material, between Google books and Archive.org, you can pick up a couple of million books, gratis.

[cgsmom]

Originally Posted by Catlady

The Houston Public Library offers a nonresident card for $40/yr. I'm tempted.

I used to have a card from Houston Public Library. We were fulltime RVer's for 12 years and I had 5 library cards from our travels. Most libraries would give you a card if you had a receipt from a campground for at least 3 months. We bought a house in Utah last year and the library here is good so I have let my other cards expire.

I am considering joining Houston library again. It is not only the books that I liked. The also have magazines and music that can be downloaded. The selection is good and I think it would be worth the money.

[stumped]

i suspect their are three tiers of access

1. free to in state/ in county/ whatever definition of " local" applies
2. available as paid-for to in-country but out of state e.g. all of USA only.
3. available as paid for worldwide

& its the 3rd tier which is a rather short list

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

Not quite true Jon, particularly the invented part.

https://www.infoplease.com/business-...story-checking

Also even then, in 1681 it's somewhat likely they used the British spelling since there wouldn't have been a standard set for American English for nearly 200 more years in 1828.

The site the link goes to skips the fact that a check was used in 1681 in the US. It was not a bank check printed by the bank. But it was a check.

I cannot say what the spelling was back then. But what I can say is that before the US was the US, the pilgrims used the same English that the UK did since they came from there. Then the English changed in the US and the UK and neither is more correct then the other. IMHO, some of the things in UK English vs US English make more sense in US English. But that doesn't mean one is wrong and one is right.

[MGlitch]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The site the link goes to skips the fact that a check was used in 1681 in the US. It was not a bank check printed by the bank. But it was a check.

I cannot say what the spelling was back then. But what I can say is that before the US was the US, the pilgrims used the same English that the UK did since they came from there. Then the English changed in the US and the UK and neither is more correct then the other. IMHO, some of the things in UK English vs US English make more sense in US English. But that doesn't mean one is wrong and one is right.

It actually specifically mentions the 1681 check, it also mentions that checks as a concept had been around well before Europe was aware there was land where what would become the US existed.

You claimed the US invented the check and that it therefore followed the American English spelling was the "correct" one. Neither of these is the case, which you seem to have possibly realized now. Though I would urge you to have another read through of that link, as you clearly missed information within the article.

[issybird]

Let's drop the check spat, OK?

[Ripplinger]

When I saw this thread I was worried my FLP card was also being cancelled, but apparently if you had a free card for being over 65, those continue to be grandfathered in, and don't seem to have an expiration date. I try not to use it often unless my local libraries don't have something, so I hadn't used it in awhile, but I was happy just the same that it will continue to be another source of library books for me. I had to put the card in my husband's name at the time, and I think it was shortly after that they discontinued giving those out.

[Skydog]

Is it possible to stay on topic?

Geeze....

[JSWolf]

When I first got an FLP library card, I split the cost with a friend. Then when it came to renewing, he got a card for Huston and I renewed the FLP card. Then the next time I renewed the FLP card, I did it just for myself.

[Froide]

Originally Posted by Ripplinger

When I saw this thread I was worried my FLP card was also being cancelled, but apparently if you had a free card for being over 65, those continue to be grandfathered in, and don't seem to have an expiration date. I try not to use it often unless my local libraries don't have something [...]

Ditto regarding the FLP military veteran card.