E-mail in libraries

[Vladislav S. Davidzon [http://www.davidzon.com]]

Maybe I am looking at this from a completely wrong viewpoint, but what I
haven't really heard in this entire discussion is what does the public want?
I mean they're the ones paying the taxes, [in a public library situation],
and isn't it the primary library goal to serve them?

It really doesn't take much to give e-mail access to the public.  Set up an
old 486 machine with FreeBSD on it and kaboom, you got e-mail!  Its not hard
at all, but I think everyone here is focusing on the whole idea of what is
the library supposed to provide? Isn't e-mail a great gateway to
information?

I am sorry, maybe I am really looking at this from a wrong viewpoint.  I am
not a librarian, I am more of a systems administrator, and I am looking at
this from the technical viewpoint more than anything else.

Thanks,

Slava Davidzon, MCP
Windows NT & Unix Networking Consultant