State X recently decided to cut state funding for the public library

Question

State X recently decided to cut state funding for the public library system in County X. To help counteract this cut in funding, the county library system has increased library late fees from $.10 per day to $.12 per day. Since the fee increase, library administrators have seen no decline in the number of overdue books. The director of the county library system concludes that the fee hike has helped to counteract the cut in state funding.

Which of the following statements, if true, most strengthens the director’s claim?

A. Since the fee increase, library administrators have noted a significant decrease in the number of books borrowed each day.

B. The library system incurred minor costs to make its visitors aware of the late fee increase.

C. Since the fee increase, there has been no significant change in the average number of days that books are overdue before they are returned.

D. The library system in County X tracks its books through a very advanced database system, allowing library administrators to have access to very accurate statistics on the number of overdue books at any given time.

E. Since the reduction in state funding, the library system in County X has eliminated 10% of its staff, creating a 2% reduction in costs.

Ananabanana · Accepted Answer

I will go with C.

Background: State cut funding for Library, thus library needs to find another source
Premise: the Library increases late fees  from 0.10 to 0.12 per day  and have seen  no decline in the number of overdue books 
Conclusion: Fee hike help the library having more funds

Prethink: Strengthen the conclusion that increase fee --> increase fund
- total gain from fee hike =  0.02 * number of overdue books  *  number of overdue days  (the  blue  part is given, the  red  part is something we need to strengthen)
- no other factors leading cost increase
- increase fee will not cause reduction in visitors/ borrowed books... and thus reduce the revenue in general

Answer choice analysis:

A. Since the fee increase, library administrators have noted a significant decrease in the number of books borrowed each day. 
-->weaken

B. The library system incurred minor costs to make its visitors aware of the late fee increase. 
--> weaken the conclusion

C. Since the fee increase, there has been no significant change in  the average number of days that books are overdue  before they are returned. 
-->  Correct.  As the above formula about the gain of the Library from this new policy. This is exactly the  red  part needed to be strengthened, and if it doesn't change, this means the library will gain from this new policy.

D. The library system in County X tracks its books through a very advanced database system, allowing library administrators to have access to very accurate statistics on the number of overdue books at any given time. 
--> out of scope. The conclusion talks about the  fee increases leading to fund increases

E. Since the reduction in state funding, the library system in County X has eliminated 10% of its staff, creating a 2% reduction in costs 
--> out of scope. The conclusion talks about the  fee increases leading to fund increases

Ghostrider3147 · Answer

We have to support the argument by giving reasons that library system has counteract the cut in state funding.
Errors
A)decrease in no.of books,not in no.of overdue books. 
Does nothing to the argument. 
B)minor costs weakens the argument mildly.
C)avg.no.of days books are overdue.out of scope. 
D)weakens the argument. 
E)reducing staff, supports in saving costs.hence counteracting the cut in state funding.

Posted from my mobile device

Bunuel · Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

The director concludes that the fee hike has helped to counteract the cut in state funding. In other words, the director believes that increasing the late fees has led to increased revenue from late fees. While the size of the fee itself is one important factor, there are other factors that also have an effect on the amount of revenue generated from late fees: the number of overdue books and the number of days that books are overdue before they are returned. It’s very possible that the fee increase would prompt more borrowers to return their books on time; this would reduce the number of late fees being paid, reducing revenue from late fees. Further, it’s possible that the fee increase would prompt more borrowers to return their already overdue books sooner than they would otherwise. This would reduce the average amount of each late fee, reducing revenue from late fees. The argument explicitly states that there has been no decline in the number of overdue books, but it says nothing about the number of days that books are overdue before they are returned. A statement that rules out the possibility that borrowers are returning their already overdue books sooner than they would have if they were still being charged the original lower overdue fee would strengthen the director’s claim.

(A) A decrease in the number of borrowed books has no bearing on the revenue generated from late fees if the number of overdue books remains unchanged. The question explicitly states that the number of overdue books has not changed.

(B) If anything, this statement weakens the argument. The costs incurred to implement the new fees would cut into the revenue generated from these new fees.

(C) CORRECT.  This statement rules out the possibility that the library system is losing revenue as a result of borrowers returning overdue books earlier than they would otherwise.

(D) The argument has explicitly stated that the number of overdue books has not changed. This is a stated premise that we must take as factual information, regardless of the quality of the database being used to track such information.

(E) The elimination of other unrelated costs has no bearing on whether the library system has successfully increased revenues through late fees.

VerbalBot · Answer

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State X recently decided to cut state funding for the public library

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State X recently decided to cut state funding for the public library

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