schoool / public internet policy

[Renee Vaillancourt]

This message is being cross-posted to Web4Lib and PUBLIB. Please excuse any
duplication.

One of our public library branches is located in a high school. The public
library collection is housed in a section of the high school library. The
library is run by the media specialist during school hours, and by a public
librarian one evening a week and on Saturdays. High school students are
allowed to check out any books in the high school collection without a
card, and any books in the public library collection with a public library
card (which parents have to sign for minors under the age of 18.) The
public can check out public library or high school library books using
their public library card.

Here's the rub: the high school library is about to make public Internet
access available. They are currently drafting an Internet use policy that
is likely to be more restrictive than the current public library policy
(although we don't anticipate the use of filters.) How do we reconcile the
access philosophies of the two institutions? Should the public have
different Internet access than the students? What about students who use
the library after school or on the weekends? What about adults that use the
library during school hours? Should we draft one policy that would apply to
all patrons, regardless of status?

If anyone has experienced a similar situation, I would be very interested
in hearing how you responded to it. Thanks in advance for your help.


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Renee J. Vaillancourt
Assistant Director
Missoula (MT) Public Library
rvail at mtlib.org
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