[WEB4LIB] RE: E-mail in libraries

[Erin Noll]

> > 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.

In my library, there are BOZO patrons ... there are also mentally
ill people who come in to use our facilities on a daily basis.
There are also men who frequent our library who have been
convicted of violent and sexual crimes.  Is it really my
library's mission to provide these men with email access? And, if
we did offer access to some of these free email accounts, how
responsible would we be if they used their email accounts to lure
young people into dangerous situations? Or email bomb threats to
the White House?

Here at my library, it isn't really an issue of having enough
terminals. It's more of an issue of the role a public library
should play. My view doesn't seem to be the same as yours. This,
however, doesn't make me narrow-minded. In fact, looking at my
library and its patrons, it makes me a realist.  You've got to
understand -- things ain't always pretty in inner city public
libraries. Theories don't hold true here. I learned that
lesson the hard way.

And, one final note ... some days I find the patrons' continual
use of the Internet terminals here to find pornographic sites and
play "Tank Force" for hours and do nothing else rather demeaning
to the library profession. I'm not a referee, I'm not a
babysitter, I'm not the moral concience of my community, I'm not
an Internet Service Provider, and I'm not their mother. 
I'm a librarian. 

Erin
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Erin M. Noll                     Kenton County Public Library              
Assistant Systems Librarian      502 Scott Boulevard
enoll at kenton.lib.ky.us		 Covington, KY 41011
http://www.kenton.lib.ky.us/     v.(606)491-7610  f.(606)655-7960

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