The Public Library: Fee vs. Free

The Public Library:  An old-fashioned concept 

with deep roots in thousands of U.S. communities

Why We Need Free Public Libraries More Than Ever. (The Atlantic, 7/27/2011)

Excerpt: In short, the small amount of additional revenue results in a much less effective use of the public support. With a fixed investment in a service that benefits those who use it and their community the more they use it, you want them to use it as much as possible. Seems perfectly clear, right?

Now, as to the notion that we need to stop thinking like it's 1900. Libraries stopped thinking like it was 1900 many years ago, and are now providing users with access to online digital resources (and the really valuable ones are not free) e-books and 24/7 online access to library services. And national surveys show that the public considers public libraries the most effectively run of all municipal services.

Libraries provide all residents with unlimited access to the reading and information resources that will mean the difference between success and failure for Swampscott residents as individuals, Swampscott as a town, and the United States as a nation. They are supported by a very modest contribution of public tax funds, and provide a fabulous return on this investment by any measure.

Sure, the library is an old fashioned concept. So is democracy. So is equal opportunity. So is getting your facts right.

Related post:
Nickeling and diming library users:  Not a path to sustainable funding.  (7/23/2011)