[WEB4LIB] Re: E-mail in libraries

[Dan Lester]

At 03:08 PM 10/13/98 -0700, Richard A. Edwards wrote:
>The real question seems to me to be that since we're spending the money to
>provide the equipment for other uses and since it doesn't cost anything
>MORE to allow its use for email, why not do so when it's possible?

Indeed, if there are unlimited resources, including the ability to add on
to the building to provide more space beyond the workstations we have now,
great.  

>In those places where there are too few stations and users wanting to do 
>library research have to be turned away by others hogging the computers 
>to do email, I can see the point. But in those with sufficent terminals, 
>why not allow it?

I've never seen such a place, but if it exists, great.  I'm waiting to hear
from the library that never has a queue on workstations.  

>Why not have a policy which gives academic use first priority,
>recreational use second, and email last? Then if they are all busy, bump
>the email users. 

Great, if you want to play cop all day, go around and check what people are
reading, writing, surfing to, etc, etc.  But most of us don't want to do
that, don't see that as a part of our job, and see that could be an
invasion of privacy.  Besides, how do I KNOW that Joe Bozo looking at porn
isn't doing a research project for his School of Medicine class in
Gynecology?  

>Perhaps it is not so black and white as all or nothing.

Nothing is ever black and white.  But as in any environment, there are
rules that need to be followed.  Personally, I'd like to see the speed
limits abolished on the wide open I-84 freeway in Idaho....but since that
isn't likely to happen, I'd better be prepared to follow the rules, don't
you think?  And, just as the police use tools to enforce the rules (radar
guns, laser guns, etc, etc.), we use the tools necessary to enforce our
rules.  

And is this tool significantly different from an electronic security system
that keeps BOZOS from stealing your books?  Neither system is perfect, but
both are effective at their assigned duties.

cheers

dan


--
Dan Lester, 3577 East Pecan, Boise, ID 83716-7115 USA 208-383-0165
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