Some libraries in Brussels charge a fee for borrowing digital media and some do not. Even within the same network. That is, there is a French library network and a Dutch network. But Brussels branches within the French network vary in fees based on the commune. This is because the commune decides how to finance the library.
I’m not sure about the Dutch network… they could be consistent on this.
Typical communes-level decision making. It seems like you’ve been living in Brussels for a while, are you still surprised?
I’m a little surprised¹ but not really bothered.
In fact the inconsistency is important in some cases. Most libraries block me from using wi-fi because they force SMS verfication (thus excluding people who do not carry a subscribed phone – thus excluding those who need wifi the most). In cases where SMS is not a barrier, the captive portals are typically broken on my devices. But there are some exceptional branches which do not impose that garbage and they serve as my refuge for access. So I am grateful for the inconsistency.
¹ It’s surprising because the info system is the same for the whole network as it would be too costly to develop separate copies of the overhead. There is only one French membership card that works across the board. So it means that they had to design an info system that could cater for the wishes of each commune. The differences seem to have side-effects. E.g. I don’t think you can return something to a different branch than you picked it up from.
