"Free" Public Library....?

So I am utterly adverse to the concept of a "lending library" due to my Howard Hughes like germ-phobia. While I used to use the local library back in Marietta, and obviously used the library at Cornell, it was my time living in New York that gave me a second thought about reading a book which may have been in the hands of any of the other 8 million people in the city, but I digress. In Princeton there is a brand new lovely library. On a whim I visited the Princeton Public Library website to see what knitting books they had available, thinking, perhaps it would be more cost effective to just borrow a pattern book rather than forking over $$$ at the local B&N if there was only one pattern I was interested in (case in point: "Twinkle's Big City Knits", do I really need to own this when all I'm interested in is one measly shrug pattern? NO.) Alas, the library didn't have Twinkle's Big City Knits, but it did have at least three books by knitting guru Debbie Bliss including one book with a pattern for a shawl collared baby sweater that I have been contemplating knitting up for Miss Baby. Great, I decide to take the plunge and the library website is so sophisticated that I was not only able to review the book's table of contents, but I could also reserve it online! I clicked on the link to get my library card and was hit with the following information:

"Free cards are available to all residents of Princeton Borough and Township, including those in university housing. Just fill out a small card, show identification and proof of residence, and receive your card immediately. Cards are renewed every 3 years."


"Free cards are also available to non-resident Princeton property owners, business CEOs, teachers who work in a public or private school in Princeton, librarians and literacy tutors or their students. Cards are renewed annually."


"Other non-residents may purchase cards for fees equivalent to the tax payments of local residents. The fees for one card are: $30 for 1 month; $90 for 6 months; or $150 for 1 year. Cards for additional household members are $10 each."

And, just to clear up any confusion:

"Princeton Area Residents: Parts of several other municipalities share Princeton ZIP codes and mailing addresses. In addition, many area subdivisions not within the border of Princeton Borough or Township include the word "Princeton" in their names. While we are unable to offer free borrowing privileges to residents of these communities, we can direct people to the public library that serves their local community."

Yes, that's right, if I want to check this book out I'd need a subscription. A subscription that is thirty dollars per month or one fifty per year. WHAT?? Am I crazy? First of all, since when is it the borough and township that runs the library? What about having a county wide library system? Secondly, if my driver's license says I live in Princeton and the Post Office says I live in Princeton, why exactly is it that the folks at the library think I'm a non-resident? Exactly what part of my property tax is going to fund the library?? Okay, I don't mind having to fork over some cash if they really insist but $150 per year? Give me a break. Personally, if I'm going to spend $150 I'd rather just buy the books and get to keep them.

Now I think I finally understand why so many people just sit at Barnes and Noble reading books and magazines as if they were in a library-- because it's free.