A Tissue Issue

It's come to yours truly's attention that the Portchester-Rye Brook, NY Public Library will be touching its patrons in a personal way, and I mean very personal.  The library plans to use ad-supported toilet paper in its bathrooms.  In plain English, that means advertisements for various products and services will be printed on the paper you use to wipe your backside.

Has the library funding crisis really come down to this?  According to the library director, the library would save around $1,000 a year on purchasing toilet paper, because institutions that choose to use ad-supported toilet paper get it for free.  It's completely understandable that libraries, which are strapped for cash these days, are looking for breaks wherever they can, but I think it's sad that they have to resort to such advertising in place of community financial support.

And even though the ink used on the toilet paper is soy-based and therefore natural, what happens when you have a library patron who's allergic to soy products?  Will libraries risk lawsuits or will patrons have to tote around their own rolls of toilet paper for their personal use?

If anything, the issue of ad-supported toilet paper should be a wake-up call for communities to do more to support their libraries.  Vote for levies, donate some books, attend library programs, make your voices heard.  I bet if everyone made a $1 donation to their local library, it would make a difference.

Yours from a currently ad-free perch.