Friday, April 22, 2005
Traveling
We've been on the road a lot recently, and like most people spent much of our time off in libraries. (You do all hang out in research libraries when you travel, don't you? You don't? How odd! )
In the past year we've noticed a new trend--many libraries charge out of district, out of state or, in the case of association and private libraries, non-members fees. We first encountered this a year ago and this past week encountered it again. When a library, particularly a public library, is supported with tax dollars, I have no problem paying fees as an outsider (aka non-taxpayer), especially, as is usually the case when we are using special collections. The same is true of collections put together by membership organizations. The lines blur, however, and there are serious philosophical questions that arise when a quasi public agency (can you hear me Ohio Historical Society) takes public money, takes public manuscripts and then charges taxpayers in their own state a fee for documents. The tax payer gets it coming and going.
This is not a situation one is likely to encounter in an Ohio public library let me just say, even if you are from out of state. Good for us!
In the past year we've noticed a new trend--many libraries charge out of district, out of state or, in the case of association and private libraries, non-members fees. We first encountered this a year ago and this past week encountered it again. When a library, particularly a public library, is supported with tax dollars, I have no problem paying fees as an outsider (aka non-taxpayer), especially, as is usually the case when we are using special collections. The same is true of collections put together by membership organizations. The lines blur, however, and there are serious philosophical questions that arise when a quasi public agency (can you hear me Ohio Historical Society) takes public money, takes public manuscripts and then charges taxpayers in their own state a fee for documents. The tax payer gets it coming and going.
This is not a situation one is likely to encounter in an Ohio public library let me just say, even if you are from out of state. Good for us!
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Worthington Libraries Community Breakfast
I represented OPLIN today at the community breakfast celebrating National Library Week at the Old Worthington Library. What a fantastic event: library friends, volunteers, staff, trustees, customers and partners all gathering to celebrate libraries in general and Worthington Libraries in particular. Even though the news is bleak -- Worthington could lose $1.1 million annually, roughly the same amount as they spend on library materials -- the love of this community for its library is strong, and the enthusiasm of director Meribah Mansfield is infectious.
I ran into George Needham of OCLC and the "It's All Good" blog. Because of BlogLines, I'd already read his most recent post wondering whether non-dynamic libraries have a future (and the failure of leadership that creates a non-dynamic library). I think at the Worthington community breakfast we saw a very dynamic library, with stellar leadership, struggling to stay dynamic in the face of a severe funding crisis.
Big thanks to the "Friends of Worthington Libraries" for sponsoring the event. Good banana bread, and delicious coffee!
I ran into George Needham of OCLC and the "It's All Good" blog. Because of BlogLines, I'd already read his most recent post wondering whether non-dynamic libraries have a future (and the failure of leadership that creates a non-dynamic library). I think at the Worthington community breakfast we saw a very dynamic library, with stellar leadership, struggling to stay dynamic in the face of a severe funding crisis.
Big thanks to the "Friends of Worthington Libraries" for sponsoring the event. Good banana bread, and delicious coffee!
