CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Now that the Cleveland Public Library has joined a trend and is offering free music downloads, the debate is on. Did the lending library go too far? If not, what's next?

 

The service marks a distinct break from the way public libraries have operated since Ben Franklin formed the country's first in Philadelphia in the 1730s.

 

It is a door that not all public libraries are comfortable walking through. Instead of lending the music, some libraries, like Cleveland's, are distributing songs from various music companies to listeners. Libraries that use the service pay around a dollar per download, which could add up to an estimated $70,000 a year cost in Cleveland. Patrons can download three songs per week.

 

For years, e-books and other library materials have been available online. Patrons download the material on their home computer, where it stays for a specific number of weeks. With music downloading, users can hold on to the songs as long as they want.

 

Free music downloading has many pondering what the future holds for libraries. Could it mean books will be downloaded for free with no expiration date? That may not be far off.

 

Some librarians say patrons should not be permitted to take ownership of anything paid for with tax dollars. They say it strays too far from the lending model that has been the staple of American libraries.

 

But the way Felton Thomas, the Cleveland Public Library director, sees it, libraries must adapt to rapid changes in technology. Using new, resourceful online and digital services is the key to preserving libraries as useful institutions.

 

"It's our responsibility to provide the public with information and help our patrons find it in a variety of forms," he said.

 

Not all libraries are willing to go as far as Thomas has. The Cuyahoga County Public Library system, acknowledged as a leader in the use of online material, is one of them.

 

Executive Director Sari Feldman said allowing patrons to take ownership of digital downloads is not the best use of the library's money and resources.

 

When it comes to music, or any other library-owned material, Feldman said the lending model has proved to be the most effective.

The Chicago Public Library shares that philosophy. Spokeswoman Ruth Lednicer said libraries have always been "the ultimate recycler" -- widely sharing materials provided by public money.

 

"It doesn't seem right to give away materials that are meant to be shared by the community," she said.

 

But the new model has gained a foothold.

 

Scattered libraries from Hudson to Sandusky, from Medina to Madison, have implemented the service.

 

A year ago, Grandview Heights Public Library near Columbus became the first in Ohio to offer the free music service. Mary Ludlum, the library director, said the program was a "shot in the arm" to the community, energizing library-goers and bringing in new patrons who then took advantage of other programs.

 

"We are constantly adapting to the needs, wants and desires of the taxpayers," Ludlum said. "If we don't change to meet those demands, we are no longer relevant."

Ludlum said the service also drove online traffic to the library website, which kept the community informed about several programs that had been underused.

 

"In recent years, libraries have become so much more than just borrowing materials and returning them," Ludlum said. "The borrowing model has already changed."

 

Rocky River Public Library directors heard about Grandview Heights' success and took the plunge, said Adult Services Manager Evelyn Janoch.

 

She said the library wanted something to get people excited. Music downloading quickly became one of its most popular services.

 

"Libraries want to be relevant and viable to the community, especially with all the new technology," Janoch said. "We always want something new and exciting to keep people interested, even if it does change how we've traditionally done things."

 

Audra Caplan, former president of the Public Library Association, said libraries must be open to new business models. She said the institutions pride themselves on staying on top of trends. That includes music downloading.

 

"This has certainly created a philosophical discussion about whether this is in fact good for libraries," Caplan said. "It's something people are grappling with."

 

OverDrive is a Cleveland-based company that has distributed e-books to libraries across the country. David Burleigh, OverDrive's marketing manager, said there's a chance the trend of free downloading will spill over to the book side of libraries. He said OverDrive is putting together a business model that could change the way books are offered. Though some doubt that a program like that will ever be paid for by libraries the way music is now, Burleigh said that door is now open.

 

Burleigh said it all goes back to libraries finding ways to better serve their communities, which Thomas, Cleveland's director, said was the main reason for implementing the free download service in Cleveland.

 

"When we stop looking for ways to improve and even change the services we provide to our communities," Thomas said, "that's when we'll have to worry about whether there will be libraries in 20 or 30 years."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: ajohn [at] plaind [dot] com, 216-999-4535