Lewiston Library looks to eBay to buy books

By Erik Bateman

April 6, 2004 | LEWISTON -- Librarian Vella Durrant is looking to buy books online on eBay. Mayor Paul Dent likes the idea but thinks that a credit card for the library is a dangerous idea.

"You can buy books on eBay for much less than normal book sellers," said Durrant.

In order for a buyer to purchase merchandise on eBay they must have a line of credit to complete the transaction. Durrant asked the Lewiston City Council for a credit card so that she can stretch library funds and get more books on a $3,000-a-year budget.

Dent was quick to point out the dangers of having a city credit card floating around. "I can see it falling into the wrong hands and discovering that Lewiston has just paid for a trip to Europe."

Councilman Jeff Hall suggested that the city set up a PayPal account and have a city official put $500 increments into the account based on library needs. PayPal is a service that allows funds to be transferred electronically from a bank account to other bank accounts or credit cards. The account is a safer option because it can only be accessed with a user name and a password.

Dent agreed with Hall and measures are being taken to set up the account.

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