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!
