email in libraries -Reply

[Brian Horakh]

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS MY OPINION IT DOES NOT REFLECT THE VIEWS
OF MY EMPLOYER. IF YOU WANT THE VIEWS OF MY EMPLOYER, ASK
THEM.

Email is definitally a tool which is used in research, it allows people to
subscribe to services such as listservs, which are obviously very
important when researching subjects (eg: is email research?). 

At Escondido Public Library (CA) we are planning to offer free email
accounts mail for our patrons, similiar in format to hotmail, but using our
equipment and internally written software (also no advertising, or
disclosure of data). If you endorse a company such as hotmail, you had
better make sure they are financially stable otherwise your going to
have some very mad customers. Also, I have had several issues in
which Hotmail is selling email addresses and information, to companies
which are running scams or "shady" operations. Although they have not
targeted me directly (guess my profile says I wouldn't buy into it) they
have contacted more nieve friends of mine. 

-Brian Horakh
Escondido Public Library

for a demo: http://cgi.ci.escondido.ca.us/email
(this is still in beta, and being tested by students at the local school
districts)