Censorship Needs: Real or Perceived?

[Tim Mallory]

On Mon, 2 Jun 1997, Walter Minkel wrote:
> 
> 98% of what we see our patrons looking at on the Web is innocuous, fun
  (snip)
> It's that other 2% or so that's problematic. There are
> groups of teenage boys (and individual older men) who come in and look at
 (end of snipping)

to add to what Walter has accurately enumerated, the 2% who create the
problems seem to have _lots_ of time to spend in the library.  We
instituted a signup system to limit their monopolization of the internet
terminals, and then cut signups to half-hour slots when they filled them
all every day.  
  We have accedentally created what might be called a chat/porn/mud
collective.  Many of these men (teen and adult) live in a nearby homeless
shelter.  Each day, each of them calls in and reserves a half-hour.
They're waiting when we unlock the door, and collectively use all the time
slots from 10 am until they have to go to the mission for dinner.
Frequently they will have another group session in the evening.  It is
_very_ difficult for the non-initiated to get a time to use the internet,
yet we cannot see a way to bar this behavior.  They are following all the
rules - even new ones we make up about limiting the number of people that
can cluster around the machine at once.  They then take turns, with the
balance of the homeless group conversing in various places throughout the
library.  
   I begin to see this as a problem of allocation of resources.  We don't
spend money that could create other opportunities for this "problem group"
which then finds a way to utilize what society has made available to them.
This absorbs resources benignly (grudgingly?) allocated to libraries, to
"make these wonderful [internet] [book] [a-v] [meeting room] [etc.]
resources available to the unfortunates who cannot afford them for
themselves" ad nauseum.  Schools (hello academic librarians) have another
"underclass", albeit one that is expected to pull themselves up by their
own (or their parents) bootstraps.
    the point is we're being paid to keep the unwashed masses away from
the toys of the elite, and to keep the unwashed from complaining.  the
homeless patons noticeably do less complaining than the other patrons -
they are somewhat appreciative.  The few "well-to-do" who use the library
show up on the board, and in friends groups, where they can facilitate the
benign overseership.
    So what are we to do?  Where do we fall in this hierarchy?  My job is
to provide information, and at least 50% of that is now elecronic and
depersonalized, online, on-the-phone, and by fax.  We may serve the elite,
but they are logging in from home, and calling in their reference
questions.  What's left?  A higher percentage of the underclasses,
comprising children, students of all ages, the poor (it's all relative)
and the homeless.
    I think we have to get used to it.  With electronic access, the classy
patrons (non-porn, non-chat, societally acceptable) can use their own
pricey tools and apply their consciences to fund schools and libraries.
Unfortunately, in california and now apparently oregon, the "conscience"
part of the contract has fallen apart.  If we do our job well, and keep
the dregs happy and quiet, we will continue to get paid!
    OR, we could form a new group - those that are both unemployed and
complaining.  Seriously, what we are doing is adding more internet
terminals, making some stand-up use only, and encouraging signups for the
internet more than 24 hours in advance.   I'm glad that the students and
men from the shelter use the library.  I like being employed.
   Tim (a refugee from a closed library in California)

*<<<{{{((([______________________________ -. ...     --.. . -. ]))}}}}>>>*
*Tim Mallory, Reference Librarian, Timberland Regional Library           *
*Aberdeen Library               Voice:   360-533-3937                    *
*121 E. Market St.                FAX:   360-532-2953                    *
*Aberdeen, WA  98520-5292      e-mail:   tmallory at timberland.lib.wa.us   *
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