Council scraps library borrowing fee
Annual subscription fees for Far North District Council libraries will be scrapped but one borrower believes increasing other fees will make borrowing unaffordable.
Paihia library borrower Ian Maxwell says the annual fee of $15 for adults to borrow books from any of the Far North libraries was extremely affordable but says the increase in other fees could prove more expensive than a one-off annual cost.
A Far North District Council spokesman says the borrower fee will be scrapped from July 1 as it was seen as a potential barrier for some library users.
‘‘Some new fees will be introduced including non-resident and non-ratepayer borrowing fees.
‘‘There will also be an increase to some existing fees.
‘‘For example it will cost to borrow books from the bestseller collection.’’
At the end of the 2015-2016 financial year, there were 2934 active borrowers.
Maxwell says the library service provided in the Far North is the best he has ever encountered living in both New Zealand and Australia and doesn’t want it to change.
‘‘We are responsible for paying something into the system and while we don’t want to pay $150 a year, we would be happy for an increase from $15 a year to $26 a year (or 50 cents a week) to continue the current system.’’
Without knowing the specific new fees, Maxwell figuratively worked out that a cost of borrowing a bestseller book at $1 a time, could quickly add up to more than $15 a year for regular borrowers like himself.
Maxwell’s wife Beverley says their research led them to discover that hiring new release books in Auckland libraries could cost $6 per book.
The couple say they aren’t convinced that fee increases in other areas will make up the shortfall of the annual borrowing fee.
Library users who have paid their library fees past July 1 will be reimbursed, says the council spokesperson.
‘‘From July it will be free for all Far North District library adult members to borrow most books.’’
Earlier this year Auckland Libraries announced 74 job losses due to a restructure to prepare for a digitally focussed future.
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