That's the main benefit I see, and I wish that WPL and KPL would do that.
I use both WPL and KPL on a regular basis (for loans, and also children's programming, among other things) and can't see much of a difference in terms of service, though the downtown library is obviously by far nicer.
I understand the argument about specialization, but am not sure how much it applies to delivering library services. Toronto's system serves a lot of different types of neighbourhoods. Hamilton's has branches in very small towns, along with in the city.
This one is truly not a case of "smaller is better," since KPL's budget is more than three times that of Waterloo Region Library's.
I use both WPL and KPL on a regular basis (for loans, and also children's programming, among other things) and can't see much of a difference in terms of service, though the downtown library is obviously by far nicer.
I understand the argument about specialization, but am not sure how much it applies to delivering library services. Toronto's system serves a lot of different types of neighbourhoods. Hamilton's has branches in very small towns, along with in the city.
This one is truly not a case of "smaller is better," since KPL's budget is more than three times that of Waterloo Region Library's.