Death Threat Woes

[Michael Dargan]

Yesterday morning my ISP informed me that someone using one my library's 
computers used a form on the Whitehouse website to transmit a death 
threat to the President.  It appears that we're likely to soon hear from 
a Secret Service agent who may or may not have some sharp questions for 
us.  

Currently we do not authenticate use of our public Internet 
workstations.  A patron who wishes to use a machine is simply assigned a 
machine by a librarian.  If we're busy, the librarian asks for a name 
which is then written on a waiting list.  There's no way for us to tell 
who used a particular machine three weeks ago at 10:35 a.m.

How obligated are libraries to keep records of Internet workstation use?  
Should we be scanning library cards into a spreadsheet and keeping track 
of times and specific PCs?  How long should such records be kept?  Who's 
entitled to see them?  

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Michael J. Dargan                               office: 319 291 4496
Technical Systems Administrator                    fax: 319 291 6736
Waterloo and Cedar Falls Public Libraries         Waterloo, IA 50701