Internet in Libraries

[Douglas Cornwell]

I have to relate an experience I had while helping one of our students on 
the Internet in our library.  I was showing him how to access newspapers 
on the web.  Specifically, he was interested in reading articles in the 
Los Angeles Times as the topic he was researching involved California.  
As we accessed the L.A. Times and found the "Archives" for the L.A. 
Times, we noted on the screen that it said, "You will no longer need to 
go to the Library."  The student noticed it and made the comment that "I 
don't know why they would say that because I come to the library all the 
time to use these computers and the Internet."  I agreed with him.

We proceeded to locate some articles on the L.A. Times in their archives 
and he was about to retrieve the full text when I brought to his 
attention that there was a notice about having to pay a cost to get the 
article.  We talked about how we bet that he would have to use his credit 
card to get it.  I told him, however, he could get the article through 
our library (we don't have it, but we can get it through interlibrary 
loan) free of charge.

It has occurred to me that perhaps our providing it free of charge is 
part of the problem.  There are so many people out there seeing that the 
Internet is for making money that they resent the age-old library premise 
that we can get it free!  Therefore, that is what is prompting such 
statements as what I saw on the L.A. Times.  Obviously, they are unhappy 
that a library can get the article at no charge.  Yet, isn't that what we 
have been doing for decades?  Why, all of a sudden do people want to pull 
out the rug beneath us?  Greed.  They want to make money off the Internet 
and as long as libraries exist, we can block their way.

I believe there are those that cannot always afford all the expensive 
gagetry it takes to use the Internet and since the library has always 
provided information for those unable to buy the very best, why shouldn't 
we continue to provide the information free in this age of the Internet 
and computers?

Just my two cents (sense?) worth.

Doug Cornwell


Douglas Cornwell
dougc at pb.seflin.org