Chat on public access Internet

[Donald Barclay]

I find this question of appropriate use of Internet fascinating, in part
because it is an issue we face here at University of Houston.  Our
number-one complaint is from users who want to use databases but can't get
to a workstation because of emailers and web users. (We have about 100
networked workstations, and there are times when they are all in use.)

We tried giving database users priority over emailers, but it was an
unenforceable policy.  Our solution, though not perfect, is to provide
"sign-up"  workstations and to encourage users to sign up in advance. 

To me, there are two convincing arguments against granting "most favored
use" status to a particular way of using a networked workstation:

1. Who is to say that the use of email or the web is automatically trivial
   while the use of a database automatically counts as serious research? 

2. An analogy: Our library is crowded and it is hard to find places to
   study.  However, we don't go around kicking people out of the good
   study spots because they are writing letters to their friends or
   reading comic books.  Why should we do the same thing with our
   workstations?

Whatever people might think on this subject, I am interested in collecting
any library policies concerning competing uses for computers.  I would
prefer to see policies regarding web/email/chat versus catalog/database
use rather than policies regarding obscenity, but I realize these policies
often go hand in hand.  If members of the list send their policies to me
(dbarclay at uh.edu), I will summarize for the entire list. If you want to go
snail mail, my address is: 

Donald A. Barclay
University of Houston Libraries
Houston, TX  77024-2091

My fax number is 713-743-9778

Thanks.

Donald A. Barclay
Coordinator of Electronic Services    always the beautiful answer
University of Houston Libraries       who asks a more beautiful question
DBarclay at uh.edu                               --e.e. cummings