So now what happens is you have all these librarians saying that everything is free. These services only look free. In reality, everything is tax-supported. The IPL made a tactical error in embracing the public-library model. The founders, caught up in the excitement of creating services for the Web public, neglected to remember how real public libraries are funded.
Community libraries get money from each member of the community through town or city taxes.
They are more like health clubs that charge an annual fee than like grocery stores that charge for each item. The health-club dues allow each member unlimited use of the facilities and certain priviliges at no additional charge. Instead of buying treadmills, the library uses its share of the city's tax revenue to pay a staff, maintain buildings and collections of intellectual properties, and acquire new materials. Any donations to the library go toward extras like multiple copies of books, compact discs, or specialized programs such as field trips for children with special needs. For that reason, the future of the IPL is uncertain.