Springfield Library fees for nonresidents going up

Out-of-town patrons of the Springfield Town Library will see their annual fees go up, starting next month.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=RH&Date=20140621&Category=NEWS02&ArtNo=706219952

Published June 21, 2014 in the Rutland Herald Springfield Library fees for nonresidents going up By SUSAN SMALLHEER Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD — Out-of-town patrons of the Springfield Town Library will see their annual fees go up, starting next month, from $40 to $45. The Springfield Select Board approved the increase this week at the recommendation of librarian Russell Moore. Under the plan outlined by Moore, the annual fee will go from $40 to $45 a year, with the expectation that the fee will go up to $50 next year. Moore said it had been five years since the last change in the fee, which is allowed under state law and must represent the town’s per capita investment in its library. He said Springfield started charging nonresidents a fee about 30 years ago. Springfield spends $49.98 per capita on the library, he said, but because it isn’t up to $50, the town cannot charge that amount. In Brattleboro, Brooks Memorial Library charges $58 a year, a librarian said, or $30 for a six-month membership. People who want to pay for two years in advance get a discount at $100 for two years, she said. At Rockingham Free Public Library in Rockingham, librarian Alma Beals said the annual fee was $50. She said the library had “quite a few” out-of-town users. Moore said Springfield had about 195 out-of-town card members, of which 127 were “active.” People won’t be able to borrow library materials without paying the new fee, he said. He said the library does give a few library cards to people who own property in town and pay property taxes but don’t live in town. He said there were 32 cards in that category. He said the Springfield Library Trustees had voted earlier in the year to support the increase. Because the change is “a pretty sizeable jump” he said he was afraid the library would end up losing money and patrons. “We think increase it $5 a year and raise it $5 this time next year,” Moore told the board.