e-mail in libraries

[HOL Lin Light]

I have to agree.  At what point will all this end?  With all the new 
technology coming along, will the libraries be responsible to provice 
access.  Did the library provide free access to radios and tvs when they 
came along?  Let's look at reality.  We have big business pushing their 
products and if you will recall the marketing move by Apple way back 
when.  They gave schools new pcs and how long was it before an IBM 
compatible could be found in a school.   Don't get me wrong, but there 
needs to be a limit to what a library should provide.  How many libraries 
provide free photocopying or faxing.  Or even free telephone service.  
What is the difference?  Some one could say," hey I'm gathering 
information and the phone is the only source availible".  I believe that 
libraries are getting sucked into a product driven market and away from a 
needs based institution.

--------------------
Lin Light
Head of Technical and Automated Services
Herrick District Library
300 South River Ave.
Holland, Michigan  49423   USA
voice:   616-355-1400
FAX:     616-355-1426
E-mail:  llight at lakeland.lib.mi.us	



On Tue, 27 May 1997, Joe Schallan wrote:

> 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
>