Blocking Email

[Fritzi Batchelor]

I'd like to echo Dan's comment.  We are an academic research library 
with 250 public workstations (across several campuses and library 
locations).  

We pay $500,000.00 annually for electronic licenses to indexes, 
abstracts and full text.  Those products are available on at least 
175 workstations, and still students and faculty doing research 
complain because they observe that they are "in queue" for 
workstations being used for personal email.

Our campus computer center provides IBM mainframe email and accounts. 
That service is available at terminals at various campus locations, 
including a space in the library.

The library also supports a microcomputer lab (office productivity, 
stat programs, GIS programs, etc.) for research/homework.  Some 
faculty require that students email their assignments.

In order to ensure access to electronic resources, we really do feel 
justified in attempting to block email use at the research 
workstations, but just haven't found quite the right way to do it.

Thanks to you folks for providing some alternatives.

Fritzi

> Date: Thu, 02 Sep 1999 10:18:06 -0600
> From: Dan Lester <dan at 84.com>
> To: Vidmar at sou.edu, Multiple recipients of list <web4lib at webjunction.org>
> Subject: Re: Blocking free mail services
> Message-ID: <4.2.0.58.19990902101412.00b99620 at dpop.micron.net>
> 
> As always, each library needs to do what is necessary to serve the greatest 
> number of its own patrons.
> 
> At Boise State our 43 internet workstations wouldn't be adequate (and it 
> barely is anyway) if we permitted email.  Students can access email in a 
> dozen computer labs. 
> .. snip...
..
> cheers
> 
> dan



Fritzi Batchelor, Head
Information Technology Services
University of Connecticut
Homer Babbidge Library  U-5SY
369 Fairfield Rd.
Storrs, CT.  06269-1005
fbatchelor at lib.uconn.edu
Webpage: http://www.lib.uconn.edu/~fbatchelor
(860) 486-5397