I see that the City of Chestermere in its wisdom has decided to offer free library membership to everyone in Chestermere, regardless of financial need. Library fees are $27 per family or $7 per senior, which I would submit are fairly nominal and a good value.
Unless things have changed drastically since I was on the library board, our policy always was that anyone in financial distress could get a free library membership. Note that many people have suffered zero loss of income during the current pandemic thus don’t need this “gift” and note also that in Chestermere’s opinion it is now appropriate to dump the entire cost of running the library onto the taxpayers, some of whom may not be interested in or capable of availing themselves of the library’s services.
I am a member of the library and a big supporter of library services but I think this is ridiculous. I will not be getting a “free” library membership. At some point in time this nonsense has to stop. I trust any council member who is on the library board or is otherwise involved with the library recused themselves from this decision.
