6 ms·

AFAICT, publishers don't donate books to public libraries. Those public libraries use our taxes to buy books. So if books are expensive then our taxes buy fewe

AFAICT, publishers don't donate books to public libraries. Those public libraries use our taxes to buy books. So if books are expensive then our taxes buy fewer books. San Francisco public libraries spend $200m per year, of which 15% is spent on 'collections', including books, ebooks, magazines etc. That's $35 per resident. The denominator includes newborns, infants and others that can't read or don't like to read.

jmcqk6 6mo ago
Libraries also do a lot more than just provide books. $35 per resident per year for everything that libraries do provide is forking cheap, and we would be greatly impoverished if they were to disappear.
- rahimnathwani 6mo ago
  The $35 is just the 15% spent on collections. The total is $235 per resident per year. But my point above wasn't about whether that number is high or low. It's that the price of books is paid by us, even it's funneled through taxes and librarians.
- flumes_whims_ 6mo ago
  Unless I am misreading the GP, that is $35 per resident on purchasing books. The amount for everything would be $233 per resident.
tonyedgecombe 6mo ago
>That's $35 per resident. Seems like good value to me.
- rahimnathwani 6mo ago
  That's the amount spent on books etc., not the total library budget. What do you think is the mean number of library books read by a San Francisco resident per year?
so-cal-schemer 6mo ago
San Francisco Public Library [0] is the best resource for readers in California. Of all the libraries in the state, I've found they are the most likely to acquire new titles, and often they are the only holder if the subject is particularly niche and technical. Even most university libraries are switching to digital collections *which can't be loaned out*. One reason I say SFPL is great for all^H^H^H many Californians+ is their book collection is available for free pickup at a your local library via the inter-library sharing program, Link+ [1]. ((People, submit purchase requests at your local libraries. It's what it's for.)) The other is that they are subscribers to "O'Reilly for Public Libraries", which lets people access Everything from O'Reilly for Free [2]. [0]: https://sfpl.org/ https://sfpl.org/ [1]: https://linkencore.iii.com/ https://linkencore.iii.com/ [2]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOsOTawdWFc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOsOTawdWFc
- rahimnathwani 6mo ago
  My point was not whether $35/year per person on books is a lot or a little. I was responding to a comment where someone suggested libraries were a way to avoid high book prices. But they're not! Libraries themselves (and by extension, taxpayers) suffer from high book prices. Separately, would you mind explaining this part, as I'm not familiar with university libraries: "Even most university libraries are switching to digital collections which can't be loaned out." Does this mean you can only read the digital collections when physically present in the library, or that they're only available to members and not via inter-library loan? A few years ago I suggested a book via this form: https://sfpl.org/services/ask-librarian/suggest-title https://sfpl.org/services/ask-librarian/suggest-title I never received any response. I've since (very recently) learned there's another way to suggest titles here: https://sfpl.bibliocommons.com/user_dashboard#overlay456 https://sfpl.bibliocommons.com/user_dashboard#overlay456 Just now, I went to suggest a book there and got a popup message saying they won't get that book because it's over 10 years old. It's a book about critical thinking. It doesn't need to be updated.
  - toast0 6mo ago
    > I was responding to a comment where someone suggested libraries were a way to avoid high book prices. But they're not! Most of the books I've bought got read by me, and then sit on a shelf forever. If a book is bought by a library, and used multiple times before it's weeded, that's a big win for $/read. > Just now, I went to suggest a book there and got a popup message saying they won't get that book because it's over 10 years old. It's a book about critical thinking. It doesn't need to be updated. I think the library is suggesting a 10 year old book might be better accessed through other means. Can you get it from interlibrary loan? Is it available on the used market? It may not be available through the library's usual sourcing, etc.

jmcqk6 6mo ago

Libraries also do a lot more than just provide books. $35 per resident per year for everything that libraries do provide is forking cheap, and we would be greatly impoverished if they were to disappear.

rahimnathwani 6mo ago
The $35 is just the 15% spent on collections. The total is $235 per resident per year. But my point above wasn't about whether that number is high or low. It's that the price of books is paid by us, even it's funneled through taxes and librarians.
flumes_whims_ 6mo ago
Unless I am misreading the GP, that is $35 per resident on purchasing books. The amount for everything would be $233 per resident.

tonyedgecombe 6mo ago

>That's $35 per resident. Seems like good value to me.

rahimnathwani 6mo ago
That's the amount spent on books etc., not the total library budget. What do you think is the mean number of library books read by a San Francisco resident per year?

so-cal-schemer 6mo ago

San Francisco Public Library [0] is the best resource for readers in California. Of all the libraries in the state, I've found they are the most likely to acquire new titles, and often they are the only holder if the subject is particularly niche and technical. Even most university libraries are switching to digital collections *which can't be loaned out*. One reason I say SFPL is great for all^H^H^H many Californians+ is their book collection is available for free pickup at a your local library via the inter-library sharing program, Link+ [1]. ((People, submit purchase requests at your local libraries. It's what it's for.)) The other is that they are subscribers to "O'Reilly for Public Libraries", which lets people access Everything from O'Reilly for Free [2]. [0]: https://sfpl.org/ https://sfpl.org/ [1]: https://linkencore.iii.com/ https://linkencore.iii.com/ [2]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOsOTawdWFc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOsOTawdWFc

rahimnathwani 6mo ago
My point was not whether $35/year per person on books is a lot or a little. I was responding to a comment where someone suggested libraries were a way to avoid high book prices. But they're not! Libraries themselves (and by extension, taxpayers) suffer from high book prices. Separately, would you mind explaining this part, as I'm not familiar with university libraries: "Even most university libraries are switching to digital collections which can't be loaned out." Does this mean you can only read the digital collections when physically present in the library, or that they're only available to members and not via inter-library loan? A few years ago I suggested a book via this form: https://sfpl.org/services/ask-librarian/suggest-title https://sfpl.org/services/ask-librarian/suggest-title I never received any response. I've since (very recently) learned there's another way to suggest titles here: https://sfpl.bibliocommons.com/user_dashboard#overlay456 https://sfpl.bibliocommons.com/user_dashboard#overlay456 Just now, I went to suggest a book there and got a popup message saying they won't get that book because it's over 10 years old. It's a book about critical thinking. It doesn't need to be updated.
- toast0 6mo ago
  > I was responding to a comment where someone suggested libraries were a way to avoid high book prices. But they're not! Most of the books I've bought got read by me, and then sit on a shelf forever. If a book is bought by a library, and used multiple times before it's weeded, that's a big win for $/read. > Just now, I went to suggest a book there and got a popup message saying they won't get that book because it's over 10 years old. It's a book about critical thinking. It doesn't need to be updated. I think the library is suggesting a 10 year old book might be better accessed through other means. Can you get it from interlibrary loan? Is it available on the used market? It may not be available through the library's usual sourcing, etc.