e-mail in libraries

[Joe Schallan]

Jack Albrecht wrote:
> 
> At the San Diego Public Library, we are pointing patrons to the URL,
> but give the patrons a disclaimer stating that the library and library
> staff cannot be responsible if HOTMAIL is having problems.  For the
> most part, HOTMAIL seems to do well what it aims to do, providing free
> e-mail access to those who haven't got regular e-mail accounts . . .

Why is providing free access to e-mail part of the public library's
mission?
How many libraries provide a bank of phones for public use?  After all,
those monthly line charges are annoying, as are the long-distance
charges.

And what if someone has been waiting to use that workstation for
research?

Netscape workstations don't *look* like boxes of tax forms, but they
seem to be proving that once again we have ventured far afield,
further stretching our already limited resources and demanding yet
another piece of our already much-called-for attention.

Was Sallie Tisdale so very wrong?

Flame away.

Joe "drummed out of ALA for questioning
data processing" Schallan

jschall at glenpub.lib.az.us