How do libraries work where you live?

[trancejeremy]

In most places where I have lived, libraries were done on a county system. That is, if you live in a given county in that state, you could use any library in that county.

However, where I live now (Jefferson County, southern part of the St. Louis metro area), I was just told that I can't use the county library, because even though I live in the county (and 10 miles away from that library), I don't live in the school district for that library. (Although I had previously been able to get a card and check out stuff there).

And apparently, my county has 8 school disctricts, but only 3 libraries, so I guess 5/8 of the county is just library-less. I guess it makes sense, if that's where their money comes from - school taxes, but I always thought they got money from the county.

So anyway, I would have to get an out of residence thing to check out books, which I would consider, except honestly, the library has a lousy selection of books. I literally own more sci-fi/fantasy books than they do. (I actually have that with St. Louis County Library, which is much better, and ironically, also cheaper. But as I said, this library is a lot closer, only 10 miles away).

So how do libraries work where you live? Is this just an oddity, or is this typcial?

 

[kingpaul]

I live in Erie County in PA. I can borrow a book from any library that is either a) a part of the Erie County Library system or b) a library that has put their catalog listing into the Erie County Library catalog system. Frex, I live in Girard, but Girard's library is not a County library. However, their catalog is in the County's system, so its one card.

Also, there's a system called AccessPA, which is basically a PA-wide inter-library loan system. If my libraries don't have a book, I can request to borrow from a library in PA that does have it.

 

[frankthedm]

My area; There are multiple library districts and most towns don't have a 'town library'. The town boundaries are different from library district boundaries. The district boundaries were set up at a time when the majority of the area was farmland and as such it was a small issue. My town got sliced up 4 or so ways, with the Fountaindale public library district getting basically all of the developed area at the time.

Now that Urban Sprawl turned those farms into homes, lots and lots of folks question "Why can't I get a Romeoville library card!" and then grow deaf when it is explained to them the library taxes in their property tax actually go to a different library district. This issue in compounded by the fact the other library districts have placed their buildings so as to be farther away from their customers than the Romeoville branch of Fountaindale is. They get the taxes, the users take the shorter drive to fountaindale.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Maricopa county is a huge area, so I'm not sure. Been a long time since I've been to the library anyway.

 

[Aurora]

We have 6 or so libraries in our county, and I can get books from any of them. In fact, I request a book from any of the libraries and they send it to my main library where it is held for me.

 

[frankthedm]

Our region has library taxes appear on the property taxes and denoted as such. Oh, and IF one lives in an area that is not taxed for library services {called unincorporated around here], they do have to pay the averaged amount the other taxpayers for the area already pay, to get a library card.

Jeremy, Find out where your library taxes go, If you pay them at all. Honestly the "can't use" part of your post has me wondering a bit; Does this library refuse your reference questions?

 

[trancejeremy]

Our region has library taxes appear on the property taxes and denoted as such. Oh, and IF one lives in an area that is not taxed for library services {called unincorporated around here], they do have to pay the averaged amount the other taxpayers for the area already pay to get a library card.

I guess that's how it works here (except it's apparently part of the school taxes on the property tax bill). But then I wonder, why does it call itself a "County" library, if it's, well, not for the county, just 3 out of 8 school disctricts for it? And why doesn't the rest of the county have a library? Seems odd.

I guess they used to let me use the library because pretty much everyone else on my road is a part of their school disctict - the library lady showed me a map. Both ends, like 45% on each side, just like the 10% in the middle. Which is also weird (especially since I'm like 2 miles away from the high school for the disctrict.)

 

[trancejeremy]

Jeremy, Find out where your library taxes go, If you pay them at all. Honestly the "can't use" part of your post has me wondering a bit; Does this library refuse your reference questions?

Well, I mean, they wouldn't let me check out books any more. I went to check out, and it said "Barred user" or something like that. Obviously, they let me in the door, but I guess I can't do anything requiring a library card any more.

And the price of a library card for is $60 a year, which is crazy, because the St. Louis County Library system offers non-residence cards for $50. And they have a lot more books. I mean, a lot more books. I wasn't kidding when I said that library has less SF/Fantasy books than I do, and lot of the stuff they have are stuff like Tek War and L Ron Hubbard's Invasion Earth Dodecology, basically discards from other libraries.

Which I guess makes sense: if they have a very small user/tax base (3/8s of a county in a medium sized state with 114 counties), you aren't going to have a whole lot of books.

 

[Kurashu]

I'm not sure how our library works (it's been forever since I've been there >_>), but if I remember correctly, it's a town library that is party of a county system. That is, anybody with a card from any other library in the system can use it.

I could be wrong.

 

[Lazybones]

The Sacramento Public Library system is pretty big, with 27 branches. I love that I can use their web page to order any book from any of them and have it delivered to my local branch, usually within 48 hours. Their sci-fi/fantasy selection is very generous, although they are lacking in some older stuff (some early Vance, for example).

We recently passed a local bond measure to pay more taxes to fund the library system. I consider it money well spent.