Newton Free Library

This Value of Library Service Calculator to assist libraries in understanding and communicating their worth was developed by the Massachusetts Library Association Legislative Committee. The values were updated in September 2008.

How these values were calculated.
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Library Service	Value of Service	Based On
Adult Books borrowed	$17.00	Amazon.com average price
Children/Young Adult books borrowed	$12.00	Amazon.com average price
Magazines borrowed	$5.00	Estimated purchase price average
Newspapers browsed per week	$9.50	Boston Globe subscription (outside city)
Videos borrowed	$4.00	Blockbuster average
Audio Books borrowed	$9.95	Audible.com download average
CD's borrowed	$9.95	iTunes download album average
Museum Pass borrowed	$30.00	Typical savings for two attendees at Massachusetts museum
Interlibrary Loan request filled	$25.00	Amazon.com average price plus shipping
Meeting/study room use per hour	$25.00	Estimated value
Auditorium use per hour	$250.00	Estimated value
Adult Programs attended	$15.00	Museum program/admission fee (single)
Children's Programs attended	$7.00	Museum program/admission fee - youth
Hours of Computer Use (Internet, MS Word, etc.)	$12.00	FedEx-Kinkos price
Online Magazine or Newspaper Article	$2.00	Average cost for online article search
Information Research Requests Answered	$7.00	Average library cost