economics of internet access, and "appropriateness"

[Kristine Buchanan]

On Tue, 8 Jul 1997, Burt, David wrote:

> 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.

  Your argument holds no water.  You are saying we should filter the web 
because there is only so much time a patron can use the Internet access?  
That is ridiculus.  If a library has a huge demand among its patrons for 
Internet access, then make the patrons sign up for one hour or half hour 
blocks of time.


> 
> >"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.


  Once again, you are not listening.  Many libraries do carry "porn".  I 
have listed in the past that my library carries "Hustler" and "Playboy" 
as well as the works of Mapplethorpe.  Please stop over generalizing.  It 
diminishes the point you are trying to make and aggravates the recipient.





> 
> 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.
> 
> 
  Or it might be that libraries prefer to buy complete sets rather than 
"samples".  Complete sets being much more useful that a series of 
incomplete "samples".





>  ***********************************************************
>           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 
>