Hello Collective Library Brain,
I am reviewing our fee structure for issuing nonresident cards to patrons who are outside of our legal service area. I can tell from the reports issued by LOM that several Michigan libraries offer this type of card and at different rates.
I am looking for “best practices” which are justifiable when setting a fee for this service. Howard Miller Library recently moved into the Class V library size according to the LOM classification system with just over 26,000 patrons in
our legal service area and contracted service areas. Our current rate for a nonresident card is $50 and has been set since 2001. We provide limited service with this card, not full access to the LLC collection and materials and no digital access either. I
have no idea how the $50 rate was determined (I became director in Sept 2022) and would like to find the best way to calculate a current and fair rate for this nonresident card service.
I have all of Clare’s information that she has given to us about different ways to calculate this fee:
- Total income (local + other local operational income / Total population served (legal service area + contracted service areas
- Total library expenditures (as detailed in the Annual State Aid Report) / Total population served (legal service area + contracted service areas)
- Or use the total number of households in lieu of total individual population counts when doing the above calculations
If your library has a nonresident card, would you be willing to share how you determined the fee you charge for it so that I can see if there is a consensus on how Michigan public libraries calculate these fees? Do you use one of the calculations
above or a different one to determine your fee? I am willing to compile any responses and share with the group for everyone’s edification.
Thanks so much for considering a response to this query
😊.
Have a wonderful rest of your day.
Amanda H.
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