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
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
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.
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 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
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.