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Johannesburg Public Libraries
Begin Charging to Check Out Books

In response to the city’s fiscal troubles, public libraries in Johannesburg, South Africa, recently began charging a fee to check out books. The August 15 issue of Reconstruct reported that adult users renewing their annual library membership have been asked to pay a fee of R30 (about $6.70) since July 1; pensioners pay R15 and membership for children is still free.

Bongi Mokaba, head of libraries in the Eastern Metropolitan Local Council, pointed out that in-house services, such as reference and periodical collections, remained free of charge. “It is not my department alone that is going through a crisis,” Mokaba told Reconstruct. “It is the entire city.” The Johannesburg council, which faces a R450-million deficit, approved a stringent R8.2-billion budget in June.

The article noted that the membership fee goes into the municipal coffers rather than to the library, and added that librarians had recently been reminded that their status as council employees prohibits them from commenting to the media.

Posted August 23, 1999.

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