[WEB4LIB] policing Internet usage

[Brian Williams]

On Wed, 21 Jul 1999, Lee Jouthas wrote:

> We ask users to limit themselves to 20 minutes when others are waiting for a 
> terminal and there are signs to this effect in prominent locations.  Most 
> people seem to not be observing the 20 minute limit so staff have found it 
> necessary to make periodic announcements reminding people of the time limit.  
> One of our worst problems is a group of young people who show up everyday and 
> use the terminals to chat With Each Other!  I know other libraries have had 
> this problem.
> 
> We are now discussing some possible solutions which include possibly making 
> one or two terminals "express" stations only (5 minutes)...taking signups, (a 
> solution no one wants; the workload for our reference desk for 20 terminals is
> just mind boggling) or even blocking email/chat/games on selected terminals.  
> (Perhaps the express terminals only?)  I don't even know if this can be done.
> 
> So my question to the list; have others dealt with this issue and has anyone 
> come up with a creative way to increase turnover on their terminals in a fair 
> and equitable manner?
> 
> Any input is much appreciated!

This is, by now, a classic problem. Unfortunately, there is no classic
solution. It doesn't stop. When we first put up internet stations we had
exactly that problem, kids chatting across the table from each other. And
they were impossible to get rid of. We finally set policy that we would
not allow chat or email and we had security folks who would enforce it.
And we had SMS running so we could verify what was being done on any
patron station to verify that indeed a violation of policy was occuring.
At that time we had no other way to enforce time limits than signup
sheets. 

We also established 15 minute machines and designed two different type of
pc's, one with the full internet access and one with just access to our
main tools. That deals with the issue of having a machine to use to get to
the catalog, but we still had problems on the internet machines.

Since then, we have been testing software to time the user out. We in the
computer room think the software leaves a lot to be desired, but the staff
loves it. We'd be shot if we ever took it off the system and didn't
replace it with something as good or better in their eyes.

With the "timeout" software on the system we changed our policy so that we
again allow chat and email. We give everyone 60 minutes and we more or
less said that we don't care what they do with it. (And we don't know
what they do with it either.) We figured that with access controlled per
person that even if they used it up on chat, we would have enough machines
to go around, and we kept the two types of machines and the 15 minutes
ones. 

In fact now, I hear the argument start up again that patrons are using up
the machines with email and chat and why do we have internet anyway! All
it does is cause problems and then you have to filter!

Welcome to the 21st century.


Brian Williams			brianw at multnomah.lib.or.us
Automation Manager	  	5032044627 at mobile.att.net (pager)
Multnomah County Library	 (503) 248-5227 (v) 
801 SW 10th  Portland, OR 97205  (503) 248-5226 (f) 
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