e-mail in Libraries

[dublinpub at lycosmail.com]

Fellow web4libbers,
First, I had no idea that my comments would elicit the volume of passionate responses that have appeared on this list, especially with the comments on "bozoz". Notwithstanding statements by Dan and Erin Noll, it is my opinion that applying this term toward library patrons is demeaning and unprofessional. And, BTW Erin, what is the role of your public library? To serve your community, I hope? If your community includes mentally challenged people or convicted felons, does that make them any lesser members of your community? But then, you're not the moral conscience of the community, are you :-)? 
Getting back to the issue of e-mail in libraries, I do agree, even with Dan, that it is a policy decision that must support the best interests of the community. For all libraries and information centers supported by public funding (tax $$$), which includes state-funded institutions of higher learning, library policy should reflect the needs of the community, and libraries should use tax dollars to provide the best services possible for their users. For libraries providing Internet access, the infrastructure to provide web-based e-mail already exists at no extra cost. Why spend more money to buy and maintain pop3 servers? It's like watching TV in black and white when you can watch in color. One message made the analogy that "We don't support public telephones, why should we support e-mail?" For me, this is not a question of support, it is a case where libraries are not taking full advantage of, or purposely minimizing the resources the taxpayers have made available to them. 
Is it a question of control, or liability? As far as I know, a Hotmail address doesn't point to any library in particular, unless you want to trace the IP address. Someone mentioned typewriters. What about word processors? How many libraries provide this service to users? One reader asked the question, is this an "age" issue, related to filtering? That was a very astute comment on her part, and one which may have a great deal of bearing on this issue. (David Burt where are you?)
My question is, what do we mean when we say we are providing Internet access? Is this a collection of databases, web pages, etc...? Or is the Internet an interactive medium, where participants cannot only access static information but participate in a dynamic information exchange process by having the ability to exchange information and ideas between and among themselves as individuals and among the community. 
What an irony this is! Librarians, notorious defenders of freedom of speech, vehement opponents of the CDA, now seek to consciously prohibit taxpayers/students from exercising their freedom of speech to send an e-mail to their congressperson. We should ask the ALA what their position is on this issue (however, as John Berry has pointed out in recent editorials in LJ, their priorities are somewhat suspect). I say we stop advertising to the community that we provide "Internet" access and change that to "database" access, as these e-mail policies will restrict any intercommunication among users, turning the Internet from a dynamic to a static medium.
For me, this is still very much a resource issue. You have queues at the terminals? You need more terminals, pal! Some libraries compromise, they establish certain computers for e-mail access, others for OPAC or database access. This may be better than the all or none solution proposed by Dan Lester. I always thought the idea was to encourage, not discourage patrons from using the library.
I'm a taxpayer. I work and I vote. I vote for library levies. I would have no hesitation supporting a library levy where a library has shown to me and to the community that they have utilized their current resources to the maximum extent possible, rather than see libraries using my tax dollars to purchase technologies restricting patron use of available resources which discourages the provision of services to the community. Yes, there is a choice here, but I would much rather see patrons coming in to a library and using e-mail in a library setting than not coming in at all. Has anyone done any quantifyable research on the effects of filtering library e-mail on library use and patron satisfaction? Might make a good article!
Finally, I would like to thank those list members who agreed with some or all of my positions. I'm happy that I could express my opinion on this forum from a library where the exchange of information between Internet users on a listserv such as this is still an option. For me and for library patrons, this is still an option worth defending.

Time to get off my soapbox.

Brenda (Bozo) Tyler



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