As retail leases expire, Blockbuster stores are closing in big cities, small towns and suburban strip malls. The demand for movie rentals from bricks-and-mortar stores is so low, in fact, that the owner of Kim’s video shop in Manhattan’s fringy East Village couldn’t find a buyer for his legendary collection of alternative and mainstream film. Instead, he donated his entire library of 55,000 titles to a tourist-starved Sicilian village that vowed to start a “never-ending film festival.”

Unemployment is at levels not seen in a generation. Where can you use a computer, check the newspaper and pick up a book or video without paying a dime?  The public library.

But make sure you return those DVDs on time. The New York Public Library lifted its cap on the number of videos it would loan. It seemed like a noble gesture until I was late returning several of the flicks. The penalty: $30.

So while corporate philanthropy has been curtailed by the recession, and foundations claim that Bernie Madoff ate their endowments, an audit of the local public library will likely reveal one helluva bump in overdue fines.