Every now and then, I see a tweet with someone saying how Netflix for Books is the Library and today, I’ve had enough.
That may be the case for YOU but that is not the case for EVERYONE.
I love my local library and am fortunate and independent enough to be able to go as I please, have books from other library branches (Thank God I have 7 other branches nearby) sent to my local library if they are unavailable at mine, use the Overdrive app, and use the home delivery option as I want but not everybody has these options. So please, stop shouting that the library is Netflix for books as the end all option when it simply is not.
Some Obvious Differences Between Netflix and the Library:
1) Netflix delivers. Many libraries do not.
2) You can keep your Netflix DVD(s) for as long as you like and return them at your leisure. You can keep a library book for an average of 4 weeks with an average renewal rate of 3 times (each time you renew, generally the amount of time you are able to keep the book gets smaller and smaller).
3) You can watch Netflix across multiple streaming devices. You can’t read a physical library book and then switch to your phone/kindle/nook/iPad/etc… which would be awfully convenient for heavy travelers or heavy night readers with wonky reading lights.
One Glaringly Obvious Similarity Between Netflix and the Library:
1) Libraries have movies & TV shows too and yet, somehow, Netflix still exists. – Caitlin Vanasse
I’ve read most of these “Netflix for Books = the Library” comments from YA readers, so now I am going to pinpoint YA readers. I know so many of us YA readers are adults so it’s ironically difficult to remember that kids and teens are reading YA, many of whom are not as fortunate and independent as us. What do I mean?
1) You typically need an ID or parent/guardian with the appropriate ID and a permanent address to get a library card. Not everybody has these. Not everybody has a parent/guardian willing to go out of their way to set a child up with a library card even if they do. Not every parent/guardian feels it is necessary to have a library card. If the intention is to walk out of the library with a book that is not your own…count your blessings.
2) Some minors can obtain a library card but don’t have the means to get to the library freely. This means that not all minors are able to walk/take the bus or train (alone, I might add which is a safety issue in and of itself, if there is a bus/train system to begin with) to places, no matter how close in proximity to their house a place is. Depending on an adult to do things for you may work out but it may not for everyone. Then the library fines begin and the child gets blamed when they were depending on the adult to help them get to and fro in a timely manner. Soon enough, the adult gets tired of taking the kid back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, with fines no less, and stops taking the kid to the library. I’m not making this stuff up. I’ve seen it happen.
3) Some minors can walk/take the bus/train (alone) but if they have to take the bus/train, they have to pay. A library book is free but the ride to the library may not be. Who is paying for this bus/train fee? Some kids choose books over sustenance and save their lunch money for the local library when their school library isn’t enough. Not all of them do. Some parents pay but if they’re already living paycheck to paycheck, food on the table might be a higher priority. Most minors (anyone under the age of 18) don’t have jobs. Some minors who have a license don’t have 1) jobs and 2) their own cars and/or limited access to a car.
4) Some parents have indeed registered their kids for school outside of their county to get them a better education (with the help of family/friends) and in reality, live an entire town or county away from the (in some cases, only) library in the area. This means that unless the parent/guardian is able to drive the minor even more out of their way (God forbid. I know. *eye roll*) to the library, a trip to the library is most likely not going to happen.
5) Netflix has recent titles at least 30 days after a title’s release (not to mention more than enough titles for its viewers). My library is fortunate enough to have a budget that does the same for most recent titles and if not, I can request it only for it to show up a month later. My library also has an abundant amount of resources to serve the county’s population. Not every library has a budget to keep up with this demand. If we’re talking about a reader who keeps up with recent releases, their local library is not a Netflix for books.
6) If someone is bedridden or isn’t but has a disability like seeing for instance and can’t pay the $14.95 or whatever the price is for an Audible membership but they can use a Netflix for Books at half the price and can go to General->Accessibility->VoiceOver on their iPad and listen to a book that way, who are we to tell them the library is the answer? Especially if their local library doesn’t have a grand selection of audiobooks!
7) I’ve moved more than a handful of times and gotten a library card in most of the places that I’ve lived but what about the people who move more than me and at a more frequent pace? A library card is great to have in all of those places but a Netflix for Books would be perfect for someone with a different circumstance than mine.
These are just a few scenarios for readers of many circumstances.
Long story short, it’s a struggle being a minor and having to depend on other people. It doesn’t always work out in favor of the library. The library is a gift not everyone like you can use. Netflix for Books (whether it be Oyster or Scribd or something else that has yet to come along) is a gift not everyone will be able to use. They are both solutions for different circumstances.
If we continue to create opportunities for people to read rather than limiting them, we open the door for more readers. So think before saying “Go to the library” to a minor who can’t go on their own but did get an iPad or tech device from a family member and can easily read books on there. They may not have their parents’ permission to use their Amazon Prime account for the Lending Library but they may have permission to use Netflix for Books.