Very Irritated at New Library Fines and Fees Schedule

[Guest]

DC and I went to our sad excuse for a library this morning and saw their posted sign of their new fines and fees, effective 9/1 glaring down at us:

 

Library Cards for non-residents: $50 annual fee :confused:

Holds Not Picked Up: $2 per item

ILL: $5 per item :thumbdown:

 

I was so irritated, even though I am a resident and always pick up my holds. I guess at the ILL. I am planning on using TOG and was going to try and do some ILL's, but not anymore! Sheesh, some of the books don't even cost $5!!!!

 

:rant:

 

On a happier note, I just realized I'm not a larvae anymore! Yay!

[Pink Fairy]

Are you kidding me? Those fees are waaaaaay over the top. I'd find a place to complain, if I were you. It looks like they're trying to balance the county budget on the backs of library patrons. :grouphug:

[TraceyS/FL]

I've never done ILL here because of the charge. We didn't pay in CA - we might have to wait a few weeks for a book, but they'd transfer up and down the Central Coast for free.

 

Our library charges people from one county and not others for a library card. Why? Because for YEARS that county refused to build a branch library down here - so our library was supporting their far reach residents. They did finally build one last year. I see they still aren't giving them one for free.

 

I have to pay $125 for one in Orange COunty in Orlando, i gather it's because they mail you ALL hold items, and that covers the mailing.

 

I have other things to spend the $125 on for now....

[Trivium Academy]

That's ridiculous! It's doesn't even cost $5 to ship most books singly. I would ask your head librarian where the new fees came from and protest it. Your head librarian probably has nothing to do with it so even though it's ridiculous be careful not to take it out on him/her.

 

I hope a library card is free for residents at least...

 

New York Public Library has a $100 non-resident annual fee. So if you're in a small town or area, $50 is outrageously high.

[Jen500]

Our library has recently made changes also--raised the overdue book fines, cut back on the operating hours.

[LibrarianMom]

Library Cards for non-residents: $50 annual fee :confused:

Holds Not Picked Up: $2 per item

ILL: $5 per item :thumbdown:

 

 

Actually these fees are fairly reasonable. Many libraries charge much more for non-resident library cards. As for ILL items, $5 helps to pay for the salary of the person who places the request, the fees involved for belonging to various consortium that allow ILLs, the fee the lending library charges for lending the book if your library isn't in their consortium, the salary of the person who unpacks the request, creates a temporary record for the item so that it can be charged to you, and alerts you the item is available, and the salary for the person who packages the item to send back to the lending library. When you consider all of the steps required for placing an ILL, $2 for not picking up is understandable. Academic library studies have shown that it costs over $20 to place a single ILL request.

 

I'm sorry this is going to put a wrench in your plans for the coming year but given budget cuts you have to do what you have to do.

[Guest]

Actually these fees are fairly reasonable. Many libraries charge much more for non-resident library cards. As for ILL items, $5 helps to pay for the salary of the person who places the request, the fees involved for belonging to various consortium that allow ILLs, the fee the lending library charges for lending the book if your library isn't in their consortium, the salary of the person who unpacks the request, creates a temporary record for the item so that it can be charged to you, and alerts you the item is available, and the salary for the person who packages the item to send back to the lending library. When you consider all of the steps required for placing an ILL, $2 for not picking up is understandable. Academic library studies have shown that it costs over $20 to place a single ILL request.

 

 

I actually don't blame them for charging for ILL, especially considering how pricey gas is these days, it was just a shock to go from $0 - $5! Also, the holds (while I'm sure they do pertain to ILL) are actually for holds placed within the library, as well, that my friend's teenage daughter - who volunteers - pulls off the shelf and writes my name on a piece of paper. I totally understand, it was just a bit of shock and frustration.