[Michlib-l] Looking for a Consensus on Nonresident Card Fees

[Amanda Hanson]

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:

  1.  Total income (local + other local operational income / Total population served (legal service area + contracted service areas
  2.  Total library expenditures (as detailed in the Annual State Aid Report) / Total population served (legal service area + contracted service areas)
  3.  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.

[Logo]<https://www.cityofzeeland.com/>
Amanda Hanson | Director
Howard Miller Library & Community Center

14 S. Church Street | Zeeland, Michigan, 49464
p: 616.748.5901 | c: 616.368.9567
e: ahanson at cityofzeeland.com | w:  www.cityofzeeland.com<http://www.cityofzeeland.com/>


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