But you’re right, they are often an overlooked resource of great information.

On another topic, artists would not make more money if people didn’t use libraries. The vast majority of people simply wouldn’t be able to afford to buy their stuff. Libraries purchase a lot of stuff. And many people use them to find out what they really like. As a result, they go out and buy from artists they know they want as opposed to just taking a chance and wasting money. And e-books are vastly underpriced so I doubt artists are getting what they deserve out of those sales.

Did you know that the Toronto Public Library also loans out family passes to different museums and the like? I went to the AGO recently, it would have been $50 for the two of us, but instead it was just $12 (we went to one of the extra exhibits).

My local branch isn’t great, but the website lets me request anything I want (it’s just not good for browsing).

This is very important to me. I did use libraries as a teen, but eventually I gave up.I would return my books late, rack up fees, because I lived in a huge city at the time, everyone would try to put themselves on the list for a popular book, movies, cd, etc. It got tiring of being on the waiting list.

Libraries were fun when I was a kid, now that I’m in my twenties, I would rather buy e-books, they’re cheaper, I can support the author, I don’t have to worry about returning a book late, with fees, don’t have to worry about it being on hold.

Its what works for me, for many people libraries work for them, but I tend to read my books a million times or so, in the long run this is what works for me.

Please don’t judge me for not using the library, my computer is like my own digital library. ;)

It makes me sad that others are speaking to their municipalities cutting back on library hours and services, so I always make sure to give mine some cash donations on the days they collect them in addition to the ol’ property tax. Anyway beyond the obvious stuff above and excellent promotion of local and new books/authors here’s what my library offers:

* Hosting spaces for and free access to different classes and lectures – in genealogy, career advice, house buying, ESL, job application for recent immigrants, parenting stuff, etc etc.
* E-books downloadable from the website.
* Online access to journals of many types (ie downloadable as pdfs).
* The free museum passes other commenters mention
* Large files of study materials for citizenship/other immigration stuff.
* “Cool zones” for the community ie access to air conditioning and iced water for all on very hot days.
* A mobile branch (ie a van) which moves around the city as required.

And for those put off by the homeless in the library or it being overrun with noisy kids or whatever – do check out your system’s website. Hopefully most stuff is accessible and bookable online. Unless attending a seminar of some sort I physically step into my local branch only for a few minutes at a time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_uzUh1VT98

“My library has people in secure jobs getting paid (in salary and benefits) $28 an hour to do work that private employers could easily hire someone to do for $15 an hour including benefits and without job security.”

Did you know that there are also private industry librarians who work the same type of jobs that the $28 per hour public librarians do? And guess what, on average they make more with similar benefits. They have similar skill sets and education as the public librarians. Private employers don’t pay these librarians $15 an hour. Why should your public library do so?

I think it’s society’s job to decide what the “right” pay is, and that deciding what the “right” pay is very difficult (I don’t know the best way to do it). But who should decide what public workers are paid? Is there another way to do it, other than for the government (who, for better or worse, are supposed to represent the wishes of the people) to set pay rates & compensation?

Again, I’m not saying that I know the answer or even that I think there is an answer. And when I say that I don’t think the private sector has got it right, that doesn’t mean that I think the government has got it right either.

It’s always worth asking what’s available – both of these things snuck up on me – I should’ve asked sooner!

Public pensions, Social Security and welfare carry an implicit promise by the state to use whatever force is necessary to collect enough taxes or print enough money to pay the nominal amount due. In that sense, they are “safer” than my IRA, which contains investments in companies that cannot promise the use of force or the printing press to pay me my dividends. I could shelter under the same blanket if I invested solely in U.S. government bonds, but unlike government workers, first I have to get the money to invest in the bonds. So I have to be more aggressive and take more risks, including the risk of having my stake wiped out. To minimize this, I try to diversify. So far it’s working, but there’s no guarantee, except:

All government programs, including pensions, SS and bonds, depend on the power of government to collect taxes or print money. Both powers are self-limiting, but the limits are nasty. Excessive taxation stifles economic activity, drives it underground, becomes costly to enforce and requires ever more severe coercive measures (travel restrictions, invasions of privacy, etc.). Excessive money-printing leads to inflation and, if pursued long enough, hyperinflation. And my stake will be subject to both dangers.

So I consider my stake to be far more at the mercy of Congress than of Wall Street. I can diversify and study my way around most Wall Street risks. It’s pretty much impossible to safeguard adequately against a Congress that ignores economic reality.

I realize there are people who broadly talk of government employees the way you complain of and that is obviously not fair, but there has to be some way of talking about this subject as a matter of policy, without having it be seen as a personal attack on government workers. Some reputable estimates of the nation’s unfunded liability on government employees’ pensions and retiree health benefits are truly frightening. If you think public services are underfunded now wait until they are competing for tax dollars with future retirees.