Pennington County South Dakota Library policy

[SnooMc]

So, we're here in Rapid City for a month, establishing domicile, and why not spend a month at this time of year? It's nice here.
Joined the local library, because we like libraries. Got our cards with no problem. Yesterday my husband tried to borrow a couple of movies and a book, and was told that they would not let us check out anything because we have a mail-forwarding service as an address.
We can pay $7.50 per month as "non-residents" and after 6 months, with proof of actually living in the county, they'll refund the money, or we can provide an actual residential address. But they will not lend books to nomads.
Never mind that we've just paid Pennington County thousands of dollars in vehicle/trailer taxes to title them here. Or that the state considers us residents. Good enough to vote, but not to check out a book from the public library. Well.

Anyway, just throwing out the info, in case anyone else finds themselves needing a book fix. There's a really nice Books-a-Million up by the mall.

[BigSxyWhtGuy]

Yup. It’s probably like that because they have been burnt way too many times. There are really only 3 or 4 states that people consider for full time nomadic living. They know you have zero intentions of staying there full time and want their books and movies back. Unfortunately, not all full timers are as honest and trustworthy as you.

[kb0zke]

We ran into the same thing with the Sioux Falls library system. We explained that we were full-timers, gave them our Your Best Address address, and they were fine with that. We don't check out real books, but do the ebooks instead. That worked for about a year, when all of a sudden it didn't. I asked, and they said that they no longer consider our LEGAL address as a good enough address, since they are supported by property tax. Oh well, it didn't cost us anything to get the library cards, so we're not out anything.


I simply joined BookBub and get my free ebooks that way. Unfortunately, that doesn't really let me select what I want to read, but it will work for now. When we get back to our place at The Ranch in New Mexico we'll sign up with the Artesia Library system and then I can get what I want.

[ghaynes755]

The policy in Pennington county changed about 18 months ago. Prior to that the AMB address was just fine. For me they notified me that I needed to 'renew' since I didn't have a residential address. I escalated with the Library board but no go. Someone there must have seen newspaper articles about the number of voters in the Box Elder precinct that weren't residents, and could sway elections. Those stories popup every few years and rehash the same histrionics. If you read the annual report for the library its somewhat apparent that they are no longer primarily a library. Most of the report is about how the facility is used for anything but loaning books. But the county does like to take your money for everythingelse.

[SnooMc]

Thanks, kb0zke and ghaynes. We do mostly ebooks also, and can continue for awhile through our last address in Colorado.

[DebH]

What about books and movies via internet checkout?

[brokeboater]

Originally Posted by SnooMc

We can pay $7.50 per month as "non-residents" and after 6 months, with proof of actually living in the county, they'll refund the money, or we can provide an actual residential address. But they will not lend books to nomads.

Sounds like they are bending over backwards to be fair while at least attempting to look out for their own best interest and the interests of those who actually financially support the library system.

Originally Posted by SnooMc

we've just paid Pennington County thousands of dollars in vehicle/trailer taxes to title them here.

I'm not sure about Pennington County be anywhere I've lived vehicle taxes go to support vehicle uses not libraries. Paying property taxes, which supports the library system, likewise doesn't give you the right to drive on the highways auto taxes support.