Article Contributed on: 7/17/2009 3:30:05 PM
Some fees at Westminster's public libraries are slated to go up soon.
The increases will affect the fees for reserving library meeting rooms and rentals of LCD projectors. The new fee structure likely would go into effect for rooms booked after Sept. 1, said Kate Skarbek, library services manager for the City of Westminster.
Westminster Public Library meeting room rates haven't been increased in more than eight years, Skarbek said, and therefore hasn't kept pace compared to other library facilities in the surrounding area. The new fee structure will better reflect the demand for the meeting rooms, especially those at College Hill Library, 3705 W. 112th Ave., she said.
"The demand has been fairly high and we were finding that apparently, there's been a lot of competition for these rooms," Skarbek said.
The fee hike actually was proposed by representatives of Front Range Community College, which owns and partially operates College Hill Library. The move to raise fees at that facility prompted library officials to also raise some fees at Irving Street Library, 7392 Irving St., to help bridge the difference between the two, Skarbek said.
The current rates for meeting rooms at the two libraries are based on a two-tiered structure in which nonprofits pay a significantly reduced rate compared to businesses. At College Hill, businesses pay anywhere from $10 to $40 per hour while nonprofits pay only $5 to $10.
That would change under the new fee structure. Both businesses and nonprofits would be required to pay a flat rate ranging from $15 to $60 per hour, depending on the size of the room.
Nonprofits also would be required to pay the same fees as businesses to rent the LCD projectors. Currently, they're allowed to rent them free of charge.
Requiring nonprofits to pay the same fees as businesses will have the added effect of cutting down on paperwork for library staffers who rent out the rooms, Skarbek said.
"I think it will make room reservations a lot for simpler for anyone because this is going to eliminate the need to submit paperwork proving you're with a 501c3 nonprofit," she said.
The fees for Irving Street Library will actually decrease, at least for businesses. The $25 flat rate being proposed at the facility is less than the current $40 rate for businesses.
City council approved the fee increases for Irving Street Library on July 13.