Death Threat Woes

[HIS]

Hi.

I may be a bit cynical, but I'm sure the President, his wife, and the VP
get 'net threats every day.  I would seriously doubt if the SS has time to
trace each and every e' that occurs.  However if this isn't the first time,
and they can trace a pattern, then you might be hearing from them.

There is also the a serious consideration of proof.  *If* you give the SS a
record of all patrons using the 'net in your library on a given occasion,
can they prove that User A is the offending party?  Technically NO.  Not
unless you keep log files for each machine electronically.  Someone could
have spoofed the IP address of your ISP and sent the offensive letter from
a different computer.

At our public library, the only data we collect from patrons is for our
use.  If the machine is damaged I want to know who did it, so that I can
clear up any in-house issues. 

.02
Cynthia Hetherington
Englewood Public, NJ


At 07:55 AM 10/25/97 -0700, Michael Dargan wrote:
>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?  
>
>---
>Michael J. Dargan                               office: 319 291 4496
>Technical Systems Administrator                    fax: 319 291 6736
>Waterloo and Cedar Falls Public Libraries         Waterloo, IA 50701
>
>
>