Re: OT: libraries (was Re: dialectal diversity in English)

>(The state library is this really big library in the Melbourne CBD. It's
>run by the state rather than local councils,[1] is big, and has
>different rules from local libraries.)
>
>[1]: The closest equivalent to the American city as a political entity as
>far as I know, but they aren't exactly equivalents. They generally have
>names with 'city' (e.g. Casey City Council, City of Greater
>Melbourne) or 'shire' (e.g. Shire of Gunnedah) in them, the distinction
>eing whether they'd be considered part of a city or not... well,
>strickly speaking, based on population:land area ratio, but mine was
>close enough.
If I'm reading this correctly, I believe these might be more like county
councils (or, in Louisiana, parish counsils), which is the level at which
most public libraries operate in the USA. E.g. King County Library system in
Washington includes libraries in Seattle, Kent, Duvall, Carnation and other
cities of varying size. Here, an interlibrary loan is either intercounty
(e.g. King County to Kitsap County) or between a county and a private
library (e.g. University of Washington library) which has agreed to be part
of the loan system.

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