To think 20p a black and white printout is too dear

[Pistachiocray]

This is in my local library. Surely it can't cost them more than a fraction of this?

The people using the library are the ones that could least afford it.

The only sensible, business-based decision would be to stop offering a print service at all. But as it is a social decision, rather than an economic one, libraries offer people an option which they are free to use or not. You have options (including access to an internet cafe and buying your own printer), other people opt to use their library.

Well go to an internet café or print stuff yourself at home then. So you had to use a free phone to get a form sent to you. I don't see the issue here.

They are probably trying to discourage people from printing - if it was 2p a page people might well print out reams of stuff that they don't actually need...

I'd rather not print out 28 pages to apply for council tax benefit, being forced to fill in a paper form.

You've already said, though, that you could use an internet cafe for your printing. The library is probably trying to deter people from using the library to print large numbers of pages. If it were cheaper other people might use it to print all sorts of non essential stuff. There are other places to print out long forms or whatever other high volume printing needs people may have.

Presumably high volume printing not a market the library really caters to, and librarians are not really employed as tech support for printer maintenance - if people were doing all their high volume printing in the library the library staff would spend a lot more time sorting printer jams etc.

As most others have said, YABU. It's not just paper and toner involved.

It would be like going to a restaurant for dinner and complaining that it cost you more than making it at home.

As said upthread libraries aren't really there to encourage printing at volume. Their market is one or two sheets to help people who possibly don't have a computer let alone a printer.

I didn't realise it was so hard to get Council tax benefit.