Public Library Fees

Charging library fees is an issue that permeates many aspects of library studies. You can look at it through an ethical point of view, a historical point of view, a first amendment point of view, etc. In this entry, we are going to explore this topic through the perspective of library services.
There are pros and cons to charging fees for library services. Some of the pros for charging a fee to use the services include: better services with increased funds, more efficiency, and the notion that something that is paid for is more appreciated and better taken care of, compared to something that is free, which tends to be taken for granted. Arguments for not charging fees include the assertion that fees are discriminatory, illegal, are more work than they are worth, and an impediment to the notion of free access to information (Rubin, 1998).
I believe that libraries should not charge fees as they limit the size of the user population and inhibit the idea of free access to information, which is the foundation of public libraries in America. Library services can be provided to all who are interested, using the funding sources currently in place; though perhaps better budgeting and reallocation of funds are in order.

References:

Rubin, R. E. (1998). In Foundations of library and information science (pp. 142-145). New York: Neal- Schuman Publishers.