[OPLINLIST] Redbox and generating income

[Marsha Wagner]

My head of Circulation Cheryl Mullins just gave me an article on the Princeton Pubic Library's Redbox. As you know Redbox is a $1.00 a night selfserve DVD rental system that utilizes either a credit or debit card. Library director Leslie Burger did not initially request a Redbox for outside her library for income, but for multiple copies of DVDs to complement her collection. The library has a six month contract and makes only a few pennies a title but has earned between $60,000- $70,000 a year. I have requested further information on this possible service and will share with the list. How do you think this would be received in your community if you were to have a machine at your library? I have held back on partnering with commerce since the public library is tax supported and my community has a 1 mill tax levy.
However in these harsh economic times I am willing to consider creating another sources of revenue. Some libraries have links to online book sellers where a portion of the profit from the booksale goes to the library. I encourage discussion on this topic and other ways to genrate revenue for public libraries.

Marsha Wagner 

Director 
Canal Fulton Public Library 
154 Market St. NE 
Canal Fulton, OH 44708 
330 854-4148; fax 330 8549520 

"All that mankind has done, thought, gained or been; it is lying as in magic preservation in the pages of books." Thomas Carlyle

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