ALPS announces card price hike

For users of the Adams Public Library System who do not live in Decatur or Geneva, the yearly prices for non-resident cards will be seeing an increase of just over 14%. Beginning on April 1st, the 2023 fee will increase from $84 dollars to $96 for the year. Up until that point the memberships can still be purchased at the 2022 rate.

“The fee formula is set by law at greater than or equal to expenditures per capita and that requires that the fee be reviewed and set each year,” read a statement from the organization. “The increase is a direct result of restructuring and adjusting library wages to align with other libraries and similar positions in our community. We ask for your understanding.”

The announcement comes nearly a week after Union Township increased its support to cover 100% of the cards for its residents, joining Preble and Washington Townships as the only townships to cover the entirety of the cost.

With the payment of the fee for the non-resident card, members are given full access to all in-house collections, online collections, premium research tools, Evergreen Indiana resources, and downloadable eBooks and audiobooks. The card also offers the ability to place holds on APLS and Evergreen materials, and request interlibrary loans. These are the same features that come with the standard residential library card that is available to Decatur and Geneva residents.

The only other way to earn the card without the cost, outside of residency in an area, is to claim card reciprocity as a member of the Berne Public Library. Patrons must have a Berne Public Library card prior to having an ALPS card issued. The reciprocity gives Berne residents access to all in-house collections, however these members do not get Evergreen Access.

For more information regarding the recent changes to the prices of Adams Public Library System cards, contact 260-724-2605.