Poll: Should Libraries Charge Fees for 'Popular' Books?

May 1, 2012 - 7:20am — Blake

Poll: Should Libraries Charge Fees for 'Popular' Books?
portsmouth.patch.com asks... In a declining economy and time when libraries are closing their doors, is it acceptable to charge patrons to read books?

In a time when more and more libraries are closing their doors, like the Anne Ide Fuller and Rumford Branch Libraries in East Providence, does it make sense to charge fees for public services? Even Benjamin Franklin, who is credited with founding the first lending library in this country, sold "shares" to borrow literature.