# Should free Public Libraries remain free?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-free-public-libraries-remain-free/627654>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [July 9, 2012, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-free-public-libraries-remain-free/627654 "2012-07-09T00:53:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2012, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-free-public-libraries-remain-free/627654/61 "2012-07-10T22:37:22Z")

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> [@Blackberry](#):
>
> You mean it hasn’t been your experience that you can only get a lot of books by going on the waiting list, or that some libraries charge for it? If you mean the latter, it hasn’t been my experience either, I never considered that they might do that anywhere before today.

It hasn’t been my experience that

> [@](#):
>
> For a lot of books (not just new releases) the only way to ever get it is to get on the waiting list for it.

Certain new releases, yes. Or I might have to request an old book that the system only has one copy of from another branch. But eventually ( normally within a couple of months) , that new release is no longer a “new release” or “hot pick” or whatever my library is calling it this month , and it will become easy to get it without being on a waiting list.

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**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-free-public-libraries-remain-free/627654/62 "2012-07-10T22:51:10Z")

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> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#):
>
> There are libraries around here that charge fees - for non-residents. The [Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec](http://www.banq.qc.ca/services/tarification/tarification_abonnement.html), a network of ten major libraries, charges $100 a year to non-Quebecois.

But wait…if you don’t live in Quebec, why would you want to pay for a year’s worth of privileges?

> [@](#):
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> The [Westmount Public Library](http://www.westlib.org/library/main.cfm?Section_ID=1) charges $130/year for nonresidents of Westmount.

This seems fair. It’s like those university library systems that offer borrowing privileges to the local community for an annual fee.

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**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-free-public-libraries-remain-free/627654/63 "2012-07-11T00:18:54Z")

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> [@Blackberry](#):
>
> Yeah but it’s not nearly as expensive as the buildings themselves. If they’re going to let people borrow any books for free, then I think it only makes sense to include books put on hold. How much do libraries charge for it anyway?

The lowest I’ve heard of is a quarter while the highest I’ve seen is $2.

And trust me, the salaries made to the multiple employees required to make an interlibrary loan service work are much more than the electric bill on an already existing building.

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