The devolution of ASU library privileges

I've been using the ASU libraries on and off for about 15 years, both for graduate education and for work. When I started doing research in Tempe in the early 1990s, a community user card (that is, a library card for non-students, non-faculty) used to be available for "whatever change the prospective patron has on his/her person, or 99 cents, whichever is less." Once you had a community user card, you could check out as many as 1500 books at a time, and you could keep them until you were dead. No renewals required. Also, all of the computer terminals in the library were available for public use. ASU encouraged the browsing of Internet porn on these terminals: most of the items on the bookmark menu were adult sites, the subscriptions to which had conveniently been pre-paid by the library. The library also had a full buffet on every level, including fresh seafood flown in daily from the coast. To accompany the buffet, there was an impressive selection of ciders and spring waters, which were brought directly to your work area by the reference staff. No charge for any of it, and no tipping allowed -- it was all covered by the cost of the community user card.

How different things are today!

The community user card now costs $15,000. With it, you are permitted to check out one book at a time, for 18 minutes. You are allowed one renewal, for an additional 45 seconds. If you go over by as little as 15 seconds, you are fined $500 and your library card is revoked. Your picture is also posted on a "wall of shame" near the entrance to the library. There is now ONE computer terminal available for public use. That's right -- one. It's located on the western slope of A Mountain. There's no trail up to the terminal, either. You have to pick your way through cacti, scorpions, rattlesnakes, and the bleached bones of previous library patrons who did not survive the journey. When you finally reach the terminal, you will find yourself at the back of a long line. The line moves quickly, however, because each patron is limited to five seconds of search time. And, of course, the viewing of pornography is now strictly prohibited.

As I said, things have really changed.

Footnote: it's not quite as bad as indicated above, but it's still pretty bad. It used to be, for example, that all computer terminals were open to everyone, without time limits. These days, if you are not a student or faculty member of ASU, you have to register for a card that permits you to use a small number of terminals for...90 minutes daily. Total. You have to sign up for a terminal, too. If there are others ahead of you, you have to wait. And if you can't finish your business in 90 minutes, you've got to come back the next day and start all over again. The final indignity is that your card is only good for three months; you have to re-register quarterly.

I'm really curious -- what brought us to this point? Anybody know?