economics of internet access, and "appropriateness"

[Burt, David]

Mark Wilden wrote:
>> From: Burt, David <DBurt at ci.oswego.or.us>
>> the librarian who says "the
>> only reason we don't carry Hustler is because we can't afford it"
*has
>> already conceded that they ration scarce resources based on content*!

>Absolutely. No one is questioning that.

>> Therefore, it is logically and ethically consistent to do the same
thing
>> with the Internet.

>But that's where you lose me. A librarian _must_ ration book purchases.
This is a >physical requirement. A librarian is not required to ration
Net access based on >content.

That's actually a good point.  No, a library is not *obligated* to
ration web access based on content.  But really, you *could* argue that
a library isn't with books, either.  You could certainly call up Barnes
& Noble and say "Give me 1200 pounds of paperbacks".  (And I've seen
some fiction collections that seemed to border on this!)

>> it is
>> because it is so far near the bottom of librarian's "appropriateness
>> scale" that they don't buy it at all.

>I think that's absolutely true. However, if it's not physically
necessary to judge
>"appropriateness" (as it is with physical resources), then you have to
prove that >such a scale needs to be applied to Web sites.

It doesn't need to be, I'm really just arguing it's the *best way*.


  ***********************************************************
          David Burt, Information Technology Librarian 
          The Lake Oswego Public Library 
          706 Fourth Street, Lake Oswego, OR 97034
          URL:          http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/library/library.htm
          Phone:     (503) 675-2537 
          Fax:           (503) 635-4171 
          E-mail:      dburt at ci.oswego.or.us