‘Library Value Calculator’

One of our takeaway concepts this week concerning the value of public libraries was the idea that different forms of value require different metrics, e.g. quantitative versus qualitative value (Kammer, n.d.). As Matthews (2019) points out, “our clumsy attempts to ‘define’ the value of the public library” are “confounded by the reality of the many diverse definitions of ‘value’ itself.”

Using the “Library Value Calculator” (I Love Libraries, n.d.), I estimated figures for the last two or three months related to my using the public library.¹

• Adult books borrowed: 3, for a value of $51.00
• YA books borrowed: 5, for a value of $60.00 
• Audiobooks borrowed: 3, for a value of $28.50 
• eBooks downloaded: 5, for a value of $75.00 
• Adult programs attended: 2, for a value of $30.00

These figures gave me a total dollar value of $244.50, and represent what Matthews (2019) describes as the “monetizing” of library services. I would say that, yes, I am easily “getting my money’s worth” through the savings realized by not having to purchase the books I want to read.

We were asked to consider if the value of libraries “can even be monetized.” I would say that the library valuation calculator can assign a dollar-value to each book, audiobook, or eBook that I borrowed, as well as dollar value for each adult program I attended, but those assigned values can’t capture the transformative possibilities reflected through my use of these items.

How can I assign value, for example, to books that help me to be a better librarian, or that enable me to gain a greater understanding of myself? Doing so would need to incorporate measuring service outcomes, and the calculator is only equipped to measure the items’ monetary value.

Notes:
1. One resource I’ve made use of that is not represented by this calculator is a free ePrinting service, up to $5 worth per day (Sonoma County Library, n.d.-a). I would email the job to an account that corresponds to the branch library and type of job (either color, or black and white). I could then go and retrieve my documents from the printer in the library. The library assigns a value of 50 cents to each color printing (Sonoma County Library, n.d.-b). Fifteen color print jobs through its free ePrinting service would have a $7.50 value.

References:
I Love Libraries. (n.d.). What’s your library worth? What libraries do. https://ilovelibraries.org/what-libraries-do/calculator/

Kammer, J. (n.d.) Accountability and the public library [Video and slide presentation]. University of Central Missouri, LIS 5804.

Matthews, J.R. (2019 ). What is the value of a public library? Possibilities, challenges, opportunities. Public Library Quarterly 38(2), p. 121-123. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01616846.2019.1602750

Sonoma County Library. (n.d.-a). e-Printing. https://sonomalibrary.org/curbside-printing

Sonoma County Library. (n.d.-b). Public computer workstation procedures. https://sonomalibrary.org/about/library-policies/public-computer-workstation-procedures