Library Use Value Calculator
Explanations of Values
The cost figures for library services were derived by the Massachusetts Library Association based on the table below:
| Library Service |
Value of Service |
Based On |
| Adult Books Borrowed |
$17.00 |
Amazon.com average price |
| Young Adult Books Borrowed |
$12.00 |
Amazon.com average price |
| Children Books Borrowed |
$17.00 |
Amazon.com average price |
| Audiobooks Borrowed |
$9.95 |
Audible.com download average |
| Interlibrary Loan Requests |
$25.00 |
Amazon.com average price plus shipping |
| eBooks Downloaded |
$15.00 |
Estimated B&N/Amazon average |
| Magazines Read |
$5.00 |
Estimated purchase price average |
| Newspapers Read |
$9.50 |
Boston Globe subscription (outside city) |
| Movies Borrowed |
$4.00 |
Estimated Netflix average |
| CDs Borrowed |
$9.95 |
iTunes download album average |
| Music Downloaded |
$1.00 |
iTunes download song average |
| Meeting Room Use (per hour) |
$25.00 |
Estimated value |
| Adult Programs Attended |
$15.00 |
Entertainment/program admission fee - estimated average per adult |
| Young Adult Programs Attended |
$12.00 |
Entertainment/program admission fee - estimated average per youth |
| Children's Programs Attended |
$7.00 |
Entertainment/program admission fee - estimated average per child |
| Museum Passes Borrowed |
$20.00 |
Museum admission fee - estimated average for two adults |
| Computer Use (per hour) |
$12.00 |
FedEx/Kinkos price |
| Database Searches |
$19.95 |
Average cost for online article search |
| Reference Assistance |
$7.00 |
Average library cost |
Page Last Modified Tuesday, January 15, 2019