[WEB4LIB] E-mail in libraries

[Patricia Uttaro]

Brenda, you said it beautifully. Email is not a frivolous use of library workstations and is a tool used frequently in my library by....people doing genealogical research....students requesting information from colleges....people requesting searches on rare books (booksearch.com)...students and adults sending messages to government representatives (an assigned task for our local junior & high school government/civics students)...parents communicating with children away at
college...to name just a few.

I am continually troubled by the heavy-handed approach some members of our profession take when it comes to recreational use of the Internet, particularly those in public libraries. So what if someone wants to use the Internet to play games or chat or send email? We provide popular reading materials in the line of cartoon collections, graphic novels, steamy romance novels, and books of trivia & games....why should we prohibit similar use of the Internet?

As a Youth Services librarian, I am especially troubled by this topic because most of the "perpetrators" targeted are kids. Is it not so much a "content" issue as an "age" issue? I wonder.....

Patricia Uttaro
Ogden Farmers' Library
Spencerport, NY 14559
puttaro at mcls.rochester.lib.ny.us


dublinpub at lycosmail.com wrote:

> This response is addressed to Dan Lester, who likes to refer to his library's patrons as "bozos" because they use chat, games, and e-mail at the local workstations. To Dan Lester:
> While I agree that users (not bozos) should not use library workstations for chat and games, e-mail is a legitimate tool for researchers, students and library patrons. It is a form of communication which libraries should encourage, not seek to block. I can think of several reference databases which allow users to forward results to themselves (citations and full-text) via e-mail. Listserv subscriptions are also a legitimate form of research for which e-mail access is necessary.
> Your attempt to block/filter patrons' use of e-mail is very narrow-minded and does nothing to address the real problem, which is the lack of adequate Internet resources/terminals for your library community. Your attempt to catagorize your library's patrons as bozos is demeaning to the library profession.
>
> Brenda (Bozo) Tyler
>
> (Who would be unable to post this message from your library)
>
> -----------------------------------------------------
> Get free personalized email at http://email.lycos.com


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