If one wants to use any of the materials in the closed stacks at the Detroit Public Library, such as those in the Burton Historical Collection, you must be a resident of the City of Detroit to access those materials without charge. Non-Detroit residents are assessed a $10.00 per day fee or $100.00 per year charge. I do not think that "pay to play" at the Library of Michigan is against the concept of a public library. When I wrote to my representative, I posed the idea of a purchased library card to him. Peggy On Sun, Jul 26, 2009 at 2:35 PM, BACON <dogon@iserv.net> wrote: > I'm not against the idea, but... > > doesn't it run contrary to the concept of a public library, as proposed by > Benjamin Franklin? Nevertheless, so many services have already gone the > way of "user fee", it may become the only way to preserve the services for > those who wish to have them available, even if they may become unaffordable > to the indigent. > > F. Bacon > >

I guess that I have mixed feelings about this. Go figure..... Myself personally, I wouldn't object to paying a fee of a couple dollars for the use of the Library of Michigan. It's kind of like where I live. I am restricted to a local rural library that is so small I may have more books at home in my own library than they do. That is where the penal fines go and also the ones supported by local government, etc.., etc. If I want to go into town, which is just as close, I have to pay a $25.00 a year fee for a library card and the ability to check out books. <sigh> What I don't like about the charging of fees for entrance is that the family who may be living on minimum wage, if they are lucky, or the unemployed families that want to take their child to the Library of Michigan and can't afford the fee are out of luck. We talk so much about families and doing things with our children, but, government is making it so restrictive that the poor family can't even take their children to a State park without paying a daily or yearly fee to enter. It just isn't right. I live close to Ferris State University and I watch them build, remodel and tear down older buildings, that look pretty darn good to me, and I wonder where the money comes from for that? Grants, probably. But, why are they building when the economy is so bad in MI and fewer and fewer people can afford to send their children to college. Seems like that money could be used to better service the residents and the children of this State by saving our History and preserving it right where we have it. Moving the materials from the Library of MI would entail a great deal of cost and then to remodel the Library for other uses. I'd like to see what the cost savings would really be in the end... Probably wouldn't be any. What is the solution? I really don't know. They can't add another fee on to the smoker, as we have taxed them to death in this State as it is. Maybe eliminate the border police for out of state cigarette buying? I wonder how much that costs? How about the drinker? More tax on alcohol to support the library? Both of those leave it to certain segments of the population that have to pay for everything it seems. I once saw an article written in to the Grand Rapids Press where some one advocated putting a tax on TP, as everyone uses it. <g> Now, I think that I am going to go hide before Pat, my Co-Coordinator of this list moderates me and she probably will. Jan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peggy Youngs" <peggy.youngs@gmail.com> > If one wants to use any of the materials in the closed stacks at the > Detroit > Public Library, such as those in the Burton Historical Collection, you > must > be a resident of the City of Detroit to access those materials without > charge. > Non-Detroit residents are assessed a $10.00 per day fee or $100.00 per > year charge. > > I do not think that "pay to play" at the Library of Michigan is against > the > concept > of a public library. When I wrote to my representative, I posed the idea > of > a > purchased library card to him. > > Peggy > > On Sun, Jul 26, 2009 at 2:35 PM, BACON <dogon@iserv.net> wrote: > >> I'm not against the idea, but... >> >> doesn't it run contrary to the concept of a public library, as proposed >> by >> Benjamin Franklin? Nevertheless, so many services have already gone the >> way of "user fee", it may become the only way to preserve the services >> for >> those who wish to have them available, even if they may become >> unaffordable >> to the indigent. >> >> F. Bacon