[Publib] Michigan library doesn't have to provide service

[Wendy Cornelisen]

An interesting article in Library Journal about a court case in Michigan:

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6463871.html

"....Bloomfield Hills resident George Goldstone wanted to pay $54 for a
non-resident family library card from the township library, but was rebuffed
since the library responded, as noted in its
Q&A<http://www.metronet.lib.mi.us/BLFD/pdf/BTPL%20QA%20-Updated%204-7-07.doc>,
that families pay about $400 a year."

While I agree to a certain extent  with the Michigan Library Association's
postion that expensive, individual library cards could "transform libraries
into essentially private book rental repositories for those able to purchase
a card", I don't see the harm in offering a non-resident account option.

As long as the non-resident fee is comparable, isn't it a good way to
increase revenue for a public library? Perhaps a single card, rather than a
family account, for the per capita funding rate of $132 that the township
spends.

The library where I work charges a $40 non resident fee to indivduals for 12
months of access.

Wendy Cornelisen
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.webjunction.org/wjlists/publib/attachments/20070801/9b20f683/attachment.htm