Bid to reduce library charges fails

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 15, Issue 694, 8 July 1997, Page 8

Bid to reduce library charges fails

Despite the large number of submissions from a wide cross-section of the community the Ruapehu District Council voted by a majority of eight to four to maintain the status quo and not provide a free library service to Ruapehu residents. A total of 32 submissions were made in support of a call for a free library lending service and of these, nine appeared in person to address the council. Four were children from Manunui School which had, as a class project, conducted a survey of 42 library authorities in New Zealand. Cr Bob PecK spoke out strongly in support of a free library service and pointed out that since ratepayers had already invested $242,000 in providing the existing library

service they should not be charged for something they had already paid for. The current level of charging meant that some members of the community couldn't afford to make full use of the library service. When asked by Cr Stuart Shaw if people who could afford to pay should get a free service, Cr Peck replied that it would be difficult to establish the fiscal status of all library users. Not only was the motion to provide a free library service lost on a show of hands (Crs Peck, Don Stuart, Warren Horo and Warren Furner voted for the motion) but, following a notice of motion from Cr Graeme Cosford, it was resolved to increase the interloan fee from $1 (currently the cheapest in the country) to $5 to be more in keeping with other libraries. In keeping with user pays principles, councillors felt that other ratepayers should not subsidise heavy users of the Interloan service (one user in Taumarunui borrowed up to 85 Interloan books for which the local library has tp pay handling and postage charges).