Valid card/Guest account for internet access.

[Kevin Kierans]

Question for those who require a valid library card in
order to use the internet.  

(We are experimenting  in one of our branches with software 
that requires a  valid library card and allows a max of 
30 minutes per day.)

Do you have  "Guest accounts" for internet access?

How do you handle the visitor from ?????? who wants to
check his/her email?  (We issue a computer generated 
"fake" library card number good only for that day--takes
but a second)

How do you handle the visitor who is going to be in
your town for three months but doesn't want to get
a library card?  (In our case because we charge
a non-resident fee of $18.)  And wants to come
in _every day_ to check his/her email or just surf
the web. (In our case we beat the patron with a stick 
for introducing an "interpretation" or "policy question"
and initiating hours of "philosophy of library service"
debate at the management level.)  :-)

Any other experiences, comments, etc.

(If you want to discuss whether requiring a valid
card is a good idea _in the first place_ please
start another thread...)

-- 
Kevin Kierans,  Manager of Library and Support Services
   Thompson-Nicola Regional District Library System       
     Kamloops, B.C.  CANADA  V2C 2A9 (250)374-8866         
mailto:kkierans at tnrdlib.bc.ca  http://www.tnrdlib.bc.ca/
   Reader's Robot: http://www.tnrdlib.bc.ca/rr
--