BeDeweyVille
I first learned of the turn of phrase embedded in the header to this post from our old friend Rafe Mair, not from the fellow that actually came up with it, Oscar Wilde.
I first learned of the turn of phrase embedded in the header to this post from our old friend Rafe Mair, not from the fellow that actually came up with it, Oscar Wilde.
Anyway.
It would appear that Marsha Lederman, writing in the opinion pages of the Globe and (No Longer Empire) Mail recently, is on to our new mayor when it comes to price v. value:
...Vancouver’s new mayor, Ken Sim, who is preparing his first city budget, recently mused about getting the Vancouver Public Library to step up and bring in more revenue. If each branch raised even about $500 a month, he calculated, that would bring in $100,000 a year for the city. (Although the mayor had the number of branches wrong; he thought there were 17, but there are 21.)Mr. Sim did not explicitly suggest charging for basic services such as borrowing books. Anyway, the Library Act forbids that...
The thing is, as Ms. Lederman explains in her piece, the VPL is doing more than it ever has with a budget that has resulted in chronic underfunding.
So.
Before Mr. Sims goes bonkers and blows the budget on a battalion of ultra-modern snow removal machines and/or barrels bursting to overflowing with toys for his favourite web lackey, here's hoping he first comes to understand that providing a little extra in his budget for our public library system will only serve to increase it's already excellent value.
An excellent value that, I feel compelled to mention, is now (and must forever) remain freely available to all.
OK?
_____
Back in the days when Mr. Mair used to stop by this little F-troop listed blog he would often leave a pithy comment or two on the topic at hand...Once, though, he blasted me for using an italicized Courier font for the pull quotes because they were hard on his eyes...I didn't back down, exactly, but I did start bolding them...Man, I sure do miss that old curmudgeon.
.
1 comment:
He wants to have the Vancouver Public Libraries make money?????
Is he out of his mind? don't answer that.
The Vancouver Public Library is one of the few places adults and children who live below the poverty line can go to find free entertainment. Books, videos, etc. Libraries are also a great place for kids to go to do their home work when their homes aren't suitable for it. People who live in uncomfortable places can go to the library for some relief and read in a comfortable chair in peace.
They are centers of learning, literacy, finding about the world around us, doing research, etc.
Sims did not have this in his election platform as I recall. He did promise to remove the bike lanes in Stanley Park, but I'm gettig the impression now that may change. Suddenly $425K might be too much money. Who is he trying to fool. They've lost more in parking fees with those lanes.
I've known about that line for a very long time. Lets hope Sims isn't one of those types. Oh, well the people of vancouver may have jumped from the frying pan to the fire.
Yes, it would be fun to Know what Rafe Mair would think about a lot of things these days.
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