[Publib] Re: Charging patrons for programs

[Sue Kamm]

The initial poster was asking about fees for library programs, not basic service.  
> In this age of budget cuts, my library system is considering charging
> patrons a nominal entrance fee to attend library programming to help offset
> the cost of the professional performers/teachers (because we just don't have
> the staff to do all programming in house and the system cannot seem to
> arrive at a reasonable maximum performance fee). Personally I think this
> idea won't wash very well for the more urban part of our demographic, but I
> was curious to see if this is becoming more common nowadays.
>
> *Has any other library begun charging patrons entrance/nominal fees to
> attend a library sponsored program? What are your good and bad experiences
> with this? How did you implement it and explain it to your patrons? How did
> your patrons react?
>
> *Also, how many of you offer computer classes to your patrons? How many of
> you charge them a fee to attend those classes? I'm looking for reasoning to
> keep teaching computer classes at the library - our community services
> director is now rethinking offering computer classes in the library at all.
>
> Thanks in advance (as always) for all of your help! Feel free to shoot me an
> email at the address below.
>
> --
> Beth Borene
> Youth Services Librarian
> beth.borene at gmail.com
>
Your friendly neighborhood CyberGoddess and ALA Councilor at Large, 
Sue Kamm
Email: suekamm[at]mindspring.com
Inglewood/Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles Dodgers Truest of the Blue, 2000
Visit my blog:  http://suekamm.blogspot.com
"High fly ball hit into right field ... she is gone!  In a year that seems so improbable, the impossible has happened!" - Vin Scully, calling Kirk Gibson's walk-off home run, Game 1, 1998 World Series
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