Re: OT library fees

Date: 25 Jun 2003 05:57:19 -0700
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles.needlework
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I worked at a public library in New Zealand when I was a student, and
the fiction section was divided into "Free Fiction" and "Rental",
shelved separately. The "rental" books were all the "trashy" popular
fiction that the head librarian disapproved of, and each book was
charged at, I think, 25 cents (mind you, this was 20 years ago).
"Free fiction" was "good literature" and was, I assume, free in order
to encourage people to improve their minds instead of reading Jackie
Collins and Judith Krantz. Funnily enough, though, the rental books
were by far the better-read books ;-)
At my local library here in the UK they don't charge to borrow books
(unless they have been reserved, which I think is £1) but they charge
for music, video and DVD loans.