The Naperville Public Library is the best in the nation, and has been for nine years running, the library learned Wednesday.
How much do you use the library? Are you aware it offers a lot more than books--such as nearly 10,000 DVD and audio titles and MP3 files that you can download in the comfort of your own home, anytime, 24/7?
Maybe you like the programming the best--the storytimes for kids, the financial services offered by the business librarian. Maybe it's something else, altogether.
What do you like most about the Naperville Public Library? What do you think it could do to become even better?
It is easy for Naperville Public Libraries to be #1 in its category. Spending by Naperville Libraries is $100 per capita, versus $50 per capita expenditures by other libraries in the State of Illinois.
The Public Library in Naperville should charge for some services, it is finacially out of control. Frankly I prefer Borders Bookstore over the Library. It may cost me more, but I take pride in not mooching off the taxpayers.
Another Anonymous: Do you also think that the library should not provide free Internet access because it is competing with coffee shops and Internet cafes that charge for it? How about e-books or music downloads?
I'm not sorry that Blockbuster is having trouble staying afloat in a tough economy when they're charging $4.29 for a two-night rental. I can see a movie at Ogden 6 for less than that! I'd rather get my movies from Netflix, from a local store like Lion Video that isn't going to gouge me, or from the library that my tax dollars are supporting.
By the way, the Naperville library isn't tops in the nation; it's #1 for a town of Naperville's size. Also, the implication that someone has been "bought and paid for" in the American Library Association is one that I find ridiculous. The numbers are based on circulation and efficiency. http://www.naperville-lib.org/atl/PressRel/general.htm
The library is not the sole reason Blockbuster is failing. I did also mention the Red Box.
Blockbuster does have an online business that competes well with Netflix.
But in the brick and mortar business which is still not obsolete, they have no chance to compete against those who pay no rent such as the library and the Red Box. I think that is unfair!
If the technology of renting a DVD was obsolete why would these Red Boxes be popping up everywhere? Why would the library be renting DVDs?
Some folks are not as technoligically savvy as other folks. Brick and mortar can cater to them. Blockbuster is put at a distinct disadvantage when competing against similar entities who have their rent paid by the taxpayer.
In responding, you missed my point about the competitive unfairness and switched to discussing technological advances without addressing the core issue!
Please address my point that it is not fair for the public taxpayer subsidized library to pay no rent or taxes and compete in NEW DVDs against video stores that have to pay rent and TAXES! Sady, these video stores paid taxes and subsidized the library that partially ran them out of business!!!
End of story! End of fair competition!
Trust me, brick and mortar Blockbuster stores are not going out of business because of the PL. Brick and mortar Blockbuster stores are going out of business because of its outdated business model.
Netflix, Greencine and Red Box and online video (Hulu video, Apple TV and iTunes video rental) are the NEW business model, where thousands of customers are flocking to for their video rentals.
Blockbuster BRICK AND MORTAR STORES may be shutting down, but they still do on a brisk business online, competing with Netflix. Naperville's PL is hardly the deal breaker for Blockbuster.
It's just a shift in business and it's Blockbuster's job to keep up with it.
Anon,
Most video stores were renting DVD for 3 or 4 bucks. They need to pay 20 to 50 dollars a square foot to operate in Naperville.
The library was renting them for 1 dollar. It pays no rent per square foot. The taxpayers pay the rent for them. Independent retailers also pay CAM, INSURANCE and REAL ESTATE TAXES that the library is exempt from. The retailers pay the tax that goes to subsidize the library that competes against them. Now, that almost all video stores in town are gone, they no longer contribute to our tax base. How does that help our economic situation? How does that help our 5 million deficit soon to be 10 million dollar deficit for the City of Naperville partially due to the decline in sales tax. I was shocked to see the Big Blockbuster on Washingon and Ogden go down the other day.
The bottom line is the library contributed in bringing doomsday to the video store business. Red Machines that are placed outside of Jewels and Walgreens also contributed.
Government should never compete with private enterprises. Government will always win as it is subsidized.
If you owned a video store and could not pay your bills renting DVDs for a dollar, you would understand. I suspect your position would be different.
Bookstore sell books and do not loan them as a library. There has always been co-existence.
If the library was getting old historical or documentary videos, that is one thing. The library was actually renting NEW RELEASES for one dollar. Video stores can not pay their rent, electricity, heat and labor and be profitable if they only charged a dollar for NEW RELEASES!
The library needs to pay for nothing. The taxpayer pays it all!
I hope that clarifies my position!
Those who vote a library best in the nation that competes against private enterprise that provide the taxes needed to support it, really don't know what they are talking about!
It is hard to believe this organization could have evaluated every library in the nation to arrive at a 1st Place for our library 9 years in a row. It seems like someone in the library may have a strong connection to this voting organization...or maybe some one in the library created this organization that ranks it first every year no matter what! Simply hard for me to believe!
Another Anonymous on October 10, 2008 4:28 AM
"Is this library that everyone loves possibly running private businesses out of town? If so, is that FAIR!!!"
AA
Book stores sell books instead of lending them for free, copy stores are mostly gone, DVD stores rent for the same price as the library $1. Internet Cafes rent time on PCs. NetFlix is doing quite well killing off Blockbuster who is moving to an internet based strategy, like NetFlix.
There is no area of endeavor where the Library does not compete with a private sector counterpart. The DVD argument may have some validity, but the Library charges the same price and has a lot of materials that no video store would stock ie educational and documentaries.
The Internet has become an essential tool for research.
Having said that, the Porno sites need to be blocked along with the Facebook type sites. This would make a lot of room available at the computers for people that actually want to do research, or search for jobs
The Library is a public entity. It is subsidized by taxpayers.
It should not be competing with video stores who have to pay rent and compete in a very harsh environment.
Yesterday, I noticed the Blockbuster on Ogden and Washington went out of business. 2 Hollywoods went down on 75th St. EV Video on Bailey went down!
Is this library that everyone loves possibly running private businesses out of town? If so, is that FAIR!!!
The library has no business being in the business of renting DVDs! It has no business creating vacant stores by not competing on a level playing field.
If the library wants to compete with the private sector, they could start by paying rent for the space they occupy free of charge and passing it on to the taxpayers!!!!
Naperville's libraries are amazing. If you've lived here your entire life you don't know how lucky you are. Most libraries barely have the funds to buy duplicate copies of newly released books let along the latest CDs and DVDs (and hundreds of copies!)
Not only that, but the Naperville PL is completely on top of new purchases requests. They have only denied one of my suggested purchases, and that's because the book was out of print. Otherwise, they are willing to buy at least one copy of almost anything a patron desires within reason.
Having lived in many different, economically depressed areas in my lifetime, I can tell you, the Naperville PL is a great resource.
If you aren't taking advantage of it, you are missing out!
I know what I don't like and that is the "new" system the library implemented several months ago. I guess whoever rated the library #1 didn't consider the on-line system. There is no easy way to create and keep a reading list (sounds like a basic staple library users muight like, ya think?). The system is hard to use and capabilities were taken away without notifying patrons - doesn't sound like a number # 1 library to me.
Aside from the books and great magazine selection, I enjoy the cheap DVD rentals. If there's something I want now and I don't want to wait for Netflix, I can usually get it at the library for $1 (free for non-fiction movies), far less than Blockbuster. I also like the Web site that allows me to place holds, browse newspaper archives or search databases from home.
My only suggestion for improvement is adding the functionality to pay fines through the Web site. They already take credit cards in person, so it shouldn't be too difficult for them to extend that.