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Is there a legal justification for a tax supported library's decision to charge fees for accessing databases and/or downloading to disk or to paper?	Kathleen Castro & Trina Richbourg

Back to List of Legal Questions Question: Is there a legal justification for a tax supported library's decision to charge fees for accessing databases and/or downloading to disk or to paper?

Encyclopedic Resources:

1. "Colleges and Universities, Incidental fees and expenses" (Amer. Jurisprudence, Second ed.)

1. California Code Education - School libraries: Sections 18300-18571, Municipalities: Sections 18900-18965 and Gov. Code 39732, County libraries: Sections 19100-19334.
2. Article 2, Sec. 19327. State Library Foundation; operating agreements; fees.
   • (b) The State Librarian may establish an agreement with the California State Library Foundation to collect fees from the public for providing the services specified in subdivision
   • (a) Fees for copying, reproduction, and other services provided by the California State Library Foundation shall be at a level consistent with the cost of providing these services.

1. 61 Op.Cal.Atty.Gen 512
   • County Free Libraries--Fees
   • Fees--General Law Public Libraries
   • Fees--General Law Public Libraries
   • Municipal Libraries -- Fees
   • School Libraries -- Fees
   This opinion has developed a reasonable criterion test for determining whether a particular transaction constitutes a library service.
2. 23 Op. Cal. Atty. Gen. 236
   • Law Libraries--Fees--Justices' courts
3. 52 Op. Cal. Atty. Gen. 235
   • Law Libraries--Fees--Multiple defendants
4. 1989 Wisc. AG Lexis 31
   • Libraries -- Fees--Online databases
5. 73 Op. Atty Gen. Wis. 86
   • Libraries--Fees--Services
6. 72 Op. Atty Gen. Md. 262
   • Libraries--Fees--Services

1. Flagg, Gordon, "Suit Threatens Library Telecom Discounts," American Libraries, August 1997 v28 n7 p12(1).
2. Intner, Sheila and Schement, Jorge, "The ethic of free service. (Library service, Wisconsin vs OCLC)," Library Journal, Oct 1, 1987 v112 p50(3).
3. Kniffel, Leonard, "Fees Fight," American Libraries, August 1997 v28 n7 p49(3).
4. Young, Peter, "Changing information access economics: new roles for libraries and librarians," Information Technology and Libraries, June 1994 v13 n2 p103(12).

Back to List of Legal Questions Last Updated: October 15, 1998