13/04/2006

50c charge lifted at Oto library

Otorohanga District Council has put its money where its mouth is, to lift literacy in the community.
On Tuesday the Council approved changes to Otorohanga District Library charges. These are aimed at encouraging greater use of this public resource.
District librarian Sarah Osborne said from July 1 the 50 cent charge on adult fiction titles would be lifted to allow borrowers to select from this collection free of charge.
The library also intends to cease offering its $25 annual subscription membership, which waived the 50 cent charge, and will instead offer a new 'Gold Card'.
"The Gold Card is aimed at those people who currently pay $1 per book to read from our new fiction collection," said Ms Osborne.
"The cost of borrowing new fiction and selected new non-fiction will be increased to $2 from July 1, but people will now have the option of paying $30
per year to read as many new books as they like by purchasing a Gold Card."
All current subscription members are to be transferred to the Gold Card, so they will not be disadvantaged when the 50 cent fiction fee is removed.
Ms Osborne said she was pleased the council had recognised the benefits of supporting a free public library service.
"It has become very popular to talk about lifting literacy and supporting life-long learning, but this council has shown it is prepared to take proactive steps to achieve these aims.
"At present non-fiction, large print, children's and young adults materials are free of charge and by removing the charges on adult fiction we hope more people will chose to select their reading materials from the library.
"We also hope that borrowers will be more adventurous with their choices, as at present some people don't want
to risk money on a new author that they may not enjoy," she said.
Ms Osborne said there has never been a better time to join the library.
"Our library is open to everyone and the range of services on offer is expanding.
"We are currently investigating developing an audio and DVD collection, and shortly library members will also have access to the EPIC database as well.
"That is a collaborative purchase which provides participating libraries with electronic copies of newspaper, magazine, journal and encyclopaedia articles from a range of sources via the Internet.
"That service will be available only to people who hold a library card, but can be accessed from any Internet
connected computer. This will be a real asset for busy people and those living in rural areas, who may not visit the library frequently," said Ms Osborne.
Further details about the EPIC database will be announced at its launch on June 13.