It’s not the first time I’ve been asked if the Aurora library card or membership is free. Since we received our new library cards for free back in August, we’ve been regularly borrowing books and DVDs at no cost. We check them out and return them—that’s how a library works. And yes, there’s also an option to borrow books virtually, and guess what? It’s free too!

According to the Aurora Public Library Board Fees and Service Charges Policy last approved on September 15, 2010, it states:

“There is no charge for membership with the Aurora Public Library to those who live, work, attend school (K-12), or own property, in Aurora or in a York Public Libraries Network municipality (YPLN – Markham, Newmarket, Richmond Hill, and Vaughan). The annual membership fee for those who do not live, work, attend school, or own property, in Aurora or a YPLN municipality is $40.00 per person. Temporary Aurora residents are charged a $20.00 deposit which is refunded upon the return of all materials and the membership card. Replacement cost for a lost or damaged membership card is $2.00.”

I think this is a fair enough policy.

I am uncertain if I can classify this as statistics when asked for specific numbers, but for context: two residents asked about the library’s admission fees, while two others inquired about its location. Asking where the library is located makes sense, but I was surprised that someone actually asked if the library was free to use.

In 40 years, I have never paid a single penny to use a library. I’ve always thought it was free. Every definition out there describes a library as “a place set apart to contain books, periodicals, and other materials for reading, viewing, listening, study, or reference—a room, set of rooms, or building where books may be read or borrowed.” Additionally, under the Public Libraries Act, the municipality approves and provides funding for libraries.

There’s a term called a “lending library,” which refers to a commercial establishment that lends books for a fixed charge. Our library, however, is not one of those.

A couple of months ago, I met a lady with two children on the Nokiidaa Trail boardwalk. She was new to the town and asked if the town had a library. I happily told her where to go.

Now, the question is, how do we find the library in our town? You can check the phone book or simply search on Google. That’s the easy answer!

The second question is, how do we let people know that our town has a library? How do we remind people to visit and use its resources?

Our library has an amazing display of information inside, but unless you visit, you would never know. It also has an informative website, but unless someone is specifically interested in the library, they may not know how to search for it online.

Many of us avoid traffic on Yonge Street, especially starting at Wellington Street going south, which is the direction the library is located. As a result, many forget about the library. Sometimes visibility can trigger a reminder or spark an idea.

The Town of Aurora issues the Parks and Recreation Guide a couple of times a year, and I was surprised to find that there is no reference to the library, not even a single ad.

In conclusion, I really don’t know where the misconception about the library not being free comes from. Did the library once charge residents for membership or library cards? Why would someone even ask? Maybe new residents are from places where library memberships had a cost.

I don’t have all the answers, but maybe it’s time to spread the word and let more people know that our library is free for all Aurora residents. Unfortunately, I only know so many people to help get the message out, and it’s not a lot.

COMMENTS

Michael said: October 20, 2011 at 19:45

“The Library is free in Richmond Hill as well. Even better we have big libraries (Yonge & Major Mackenzie) and small libraries (Scott & Pearson). My wife and I each have three library cards as well. One for Aurora, one for Richmond Hill and we found a cute little one in Markham in Thornhill. A great day trip for everyone. Just remember to return the material on time…because if not that is when the library is no longer free. – Michael”

Marvin said: October 26, 2011 at 23:53

“I have never heard of a commercial library (other than Lexis/Nexis online). All libraries in the US are free, supported by local taxes. Fewer and fewer people use them, though, because of the Internet.”