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I live in Toronto, where the public library system has the highest circulation-per-capita in the North America, and even here we pay about $5.50 (in taxes) for

• bane 13y ago
  I'm not sure cost/book loaned is the best measure of a library's performance. In my local area (a suburb of Washington D.C.), I have 2 brand new libraries about 5-10 minutes from my house, with another one planned within walking distance. At both the extant libraries, book loaning is just part of the services offered by the library. For example, on any given day you can go in after school and the libraries will be packed to the gills with students using them as after school study centers -- with private group study rooms and the like. Private tutors often meet with their students in the library as well instead of people's houses as it lets them have a centralized place where they can see 3 or 4 students in a row with high efficiency. They also offer a pretty full schedule of community events, for example one of my county libraries has regular meet-ups for parents of autistic kids. The kids get together and play videogames and the parents meet with a special educator. I've also attended talks by authors of niche books that would never get a chance in a major book chain. One of the best I recall was a talk by a retired player about his days as a professional baseball player in the Negro Leagues. Libraries are more than just a cheap alternative to a book store, they're major community centers dedicated to learning in general. I'd happily pay $10 a book loaned to keep them around.