economics of internet access, and "appropriateness"

[Burt, David]

Laura Quilter wrote:

>If access-time is in short supply, then one rations the access time:
let people sign up >to use machines; put bestsellers on a short-loan
list, etc.

What you don't seem to get, Laura, is that 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*!
Therefore, it is logically and ethically consistent to do the same thing
with the Internet.

>"Looking up a sports statistic" -- yes, that comes up
>a lot in public library situations.  How is looking up a sports
statistic
>"appropriate" and exploration of sexuality not?

Because as I've shown, librarians ration scarce resources based on
"appropriateness", otherwise, they would carry porn.

Another point is this: No, libraries do not have enough money to buy
everything but they certainly do have the money to buy *a sample of
everything*.  Libraries choose not to buy samples of hard core porn.
Why?  Either because they don't consider it appropriate at all, or it is
because it is so far near the bottom of librarian's "appropriateness
scale" that they don't buy it at all.  Either way, it proves my point.


 ***********************************************************
          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