She called us a reader, who informed us that Miejska Biblioteka Publiczna – Centrum Wiedzy supposedly has only 25 Legimi codes for this year. And that is for Bolesławiec, with its population of 40,000. In other libraries, as we have heard, there are no such problems with the codes.

Anna Idkowiak, director of Miejska Biblioteka Publiczna – Centrum Wiedzy, explains:

In connection with (...) the question about Legimi codes issued by MBP-CW, I inform you that their number depends on the financial capacity of our institution and our ability to cover the costs associated with their use. In 2023, the price of each page read or listened to by a reader was PLN 0.018 in the AUDIO package (access to books in text and audio versions). Last year, our readers used the access and thus read or listened to 833,334 pages, in connection with which the Library incurred a cost of PLN 15,000 for this service. Each year, we adjust the number of codes issued to our financial capacity so that a reader who has received a free code from us can use it throughout the year. Each code allows reading on two devices, that is, by two people. This is an additional form, beyond the basic one provided directly, of promoting and popularizing reading among people registered with the Library.

And she adds:

Not wanting to reduce the selection of books available on-site in the lending library, which is used by significantly more people, and also not wanting to limit access to a variety of publications—that is, traditional books, books printed in large type for people with low vision, books uploaded to so-called talking books for blind people, audiobooks, films, games, school reading, and magazines—the number of codes was reduced. The collection available at our Library is constantly expanded with the latest publications (more than 4,000 items annually), and is accessible five days a week, with the option of placing orders online, by phone, or in person. A traditional book can be used for many years by many people, and therefore the number of codes issued was optimized.

But she immediately adds:

Every year, we apply for funding to purchase new publications under the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage program, and if we receive such funding again this year, with the possibility of financing remote access, the opportunity to issue new codes may arise.