Your public library - frugal or not?

**peanut** · 11-16-2008, 01:00 PM

This came out of the frugal indulgences thread. Jamiekulik posted it costs $4.50/week to use her public library...

Originally Posted by jamiekulik

I would try our library but its so small and sucky lol at least its only $4.50/week

jamiekulik, where do you live where they charge per week for the public library???!!! We have an annual fee of $5 and we can borrow whatever we like for specified loan periods. Whatever we want that the library doesn't have, we interlibrary loan for free. $4.50/week is highway robbery! Does the city, state/province, federal govt. not support public libraries where you are?

This really caught my eye. I tell everyone who's trying to be frugal to use their public library. But could be there are cases where it's not a frugal thing to do?!

What's the situation in your state/province/area?

Jean

**pecunierrant** · 11-16-2008, 01:09 PM

No additional charge for library use here, it all comes out in taxes. We have ILL, dvd rentals, CDs are treated as books, etc. There are computers with internet, etc. There will be cuts soon though with the state budget shortfall like many are feeling.
They will cut back on new books first. I hope they don't start charging fees here, our taxes are already very high.

**FrugalMomof3** · 11-16-2008, 01:14 PM

For us it's super frugal because it's FREE. We aren't charged anything unless we are late returning things and when checking out items we have 3 weeks for books and 1 week for DVD's/CD's.

**Ilovesewing** · 11-16-2008, 01:56 PM

I've never heard of a public library charging for use! That's just sad

I live in a small town of 2000, and we have a brand new beautiful county library. Completely free of charge.

**freebs** · 11-16-2008, 02:11 PM

ours is a $2 a year library card fee

**vigilant20** · 11-16-2008, 02:12 PM

Ours is free with free interlibrary loans of any book in the county. You can also search the county catalog online and request anything you want, so you only have to make trips to the library when they have the books ready at the desk for you.

**SandNOceanGirl** · 11-16-2008, 02:13 PM

Our public library is free for everything except ILL and late charges. They charge just a dollar for return postage on the ILL.

**sunshine** · 11-16-2008, 02:15 PM

No library in our area. . . the closest one is 30+ miles away, and charges $60/person/year for out of district use.

I just hit the yearly library sales and stock up on .10 books to read year round, then sell them at my yard sale for .10- .25 each.

**AspiringToBeFrugal** · 11-16-2008, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by FrugalMomof3

For us it's super frugal because it's FREE. We aren't charged anything unless we are late returning things and when checking out items we have 3 weeks for books and 1 week for DVD's/CD's.

Ours is free as well. It's funded by the city as well as by grants and things from the state, national and private funders. We are also charged for overdue items.

Like FrugalMomof3, our limits are 3 weeks for books (except those new ones that are designated 14-day limit), and one week for movies, CDs, video games, etc. They have computers for internet use and I go there to peruse their magazines for FREE instead of paying for a subscription!

I've never heard of a PUBLIC library that charged patrons to use it. I simply think this is THE best free service I've learned to take advantage of!

**sunshine** · 11-16-2008, 02:20 PM

No library in our area. . . the closest one is 30+ miles away, and charges $60/person/year for out of district use.

I just hit the yearly library sales and stock up on .10 books to read year round, then sell them at my yard sale for .10- .25 each.

**allthewiser** · 11-16-2008, 02:29 PM

We don't have near the library in Georgia that we enjoyed in Ohio.

The good thing is taxes in Georgia are < $600 where it would easily be $3,000 in Ohio for the same house. $2,400 pays for a lot of DVD rentals and books.

**Neeley** · 11-16-2008, 02:36 PM

Totally free here unless you return items late. Then it is a $0.10 per day per item charge.

**txmomof2** · 11-16-2008, 02:42 PM

I have never heard of a public library that charged for general use. Ours is free...except late fees.

**AmyBoz** · 11-16-2008, 02:47 PM

The only fee at our library is $1 to replace your library card if you lose it. Otherwise, it is totally free.

**dcompton** · 11-16-2008, 03:12 PM

Ours is completely free. Overdue fines are .05 a day. ILL is free, but overdue fines for ILL books are $1 a day, which is totally fair.

Actually, for myself I would not mind paying a small annual fee to help support it, but I would hate to see that instituted because it is such a valuable resource I would not want anyone to be unable to use it for that reason.

I've loved libraries all my life. When I four or five - that's 55 years ago! - my mother starting taking us to the bookmobile every Saturday. I can't imagine being without a library. I'm hoping that with tough times, more people will start using it, and the rising usage stats will persuade the city that this is something they need to continue to support, and generously. Any branch I go into always seems busy nowadays.