THOUSAND OAKS : Library Fee to Start for Non-Residents
The Thousand Oaks City Council has decided to go ahead with a plan to charge all non-residents, except those in Westlake Village, a $55 annual fee to check out library books.
Free library services for non-residents will end Oct. 1. However, Westlake Village, which has no libraries, has offered to subsidize the Thousand Oaks library system in return for the continued use of its books.
The City Council agreed Tuesday night that Westlake Village has until Nov. 1 to negotiate a deal with Thousand Oaks. The City Council adopted the $55 fee earlier this year to help pay for operating the city’s two libraries.
A study of the libraries’ card holders showed that about 38% live outside Thousand Oaks. About 3,960 library users live in Westlake Village.
The fee has been criticized by the communities of Oak Park and Moorpark, which contend that discouraging non-residents from using Thousand Oaks libraries is unfair for communities that cannot afford larger libraries.
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