[WEB4LIB] Re: E-mail in Public Libraries

[Shirl Kennedy]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Brent J. Pliskow" <htwd at tln.lib.mi.us>
To: "Multiple recipients of list" <web4lib at webjunction.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2000 11:27 AM
Subject: [WEB4LIB] Re: E-mail in Public Libraries


> > This is one issue that always pushes my hot button.  If you search the
> > Web4Lib archives, you'll probably encounter my previous rants on this
> > subject.
>
> While this issue also "pushes my hot button," I will respectfully tone
down
> my emotions.  Nothing can hurt by reintroducing an issue.  Some views may
> have changed as people may have gained more information, and we also have
to
> give a chance for new members to voice their opinions.

True enough...
>
> > Brent, it sounds like you and your fellow staff are making a value
> judgement
> > when you say, "We do not believe our patrons are making good use of the
> > resource we have provided them."  What is so awful about people using
> > e-mail?
>
> The opening of our Internet Usage policy states that "The mission of the
> Huntington Woods Library is to serve the community by providing access to
> informational, cultural, educational and leisure resources."  By leisure,
we
> do not mean e-mail.  We believe those that sit at the computer all day and
> send e-mail should consider purchasing a personal computer for their home.

Uh, libraries are a community place.  Why do people come to Barnes & Noble
to read or study?  Maybe they just like to be around other people...

> They are abusing the priveledge we have granted to the community.  The
> clause, "at the discretion of the librarian," is a key phrase in our
policy.
> This allows for e-mail communication for purely research purposes.  It is
> not us making the value judgement, we are merely guided by the policies
our
> Library Advisory Board creates.

"..at the discretion of the librarian" is Bad Policy.  Turns librarians into
Net police.  I don't think any of my colleagues would be comfortable in that
role...  Why not just buy filtering software?

>
> Furthermore, a valid argument is an issue of legality.  If a patron uses
our
> machines to send e-mail for illegal purposes, that e-mail can be traced
back
> to our library and in turn we may face legal prosecuction.  This is an
issue
> that I have not researched enough to comment further.

Red herring.  It's happened locally...although not at our library.  The
library and the municipality was not held liable.  The authorities matched
the I.P. of the sending computer to the person on the sign-up list at the
reference desk.
>
> > What most libraries around these parts do is limit the amount of time
one
> > patron can spend at an Internet computer; people sign up for a half hour
> or
> > an hour at a time.  In some libraries, where the Internet computers are
in
> > high demand, patrons may be limited to one time slot per day.  That is
how
> > you deal with the problem of "...'regulars' that spend an entire
afternoon
> > sending e-mail."
>
> Our current policy allows for usage of the computer for one hour.
However,
> it is only enforced when all computers are in use and another patron would
> like to use them.  Unfortunatley, this does not solve the problem of
> regulars.

If the computers are not otherwise being used, what is the problem with the
"regulars"?  Better the machines should sit idle than someone should use
them for e-mail?
>
> > If you truly "...do not believe that people are making good use of the
> > resource...," you need to stop and think about the multi-faceted
functions
> > of a community public library.  Scholarly research is generally low on
the
> > totem pole...compared to to the number of romance novels, thrillers,
> action
> > videos, etc., that circulate.  Do you make meeting rooms available to
the
> > public?  So do we.  Meeting rooms are a high demand item.  There's a UFO
> > group that meets at one of the branches.  Some would call that
frivolous,
> > considering that service clubs and support groups also compete for these
> > rooms.
>
> Actually, you need to stop and take a look at the community itself.  Our
> community has a very high number of those with Master's degrees or higher.
> In other words, our community is fairly well educated.  As a result, our
> general circulation is fiction, with a good number of non-fiction books
for
> general research.  Our meeting rooms are often filled with book discussion
> groups.

Uh, and if the demographics are logical, probably most of those people have
computers at home.  Which makes you wonder why they are coming to the
library to send e-mail.  Some need is being filled, obviously.
>
> > And...uh...some people do belong to e-mail support groups.
>
> I wish I could refer some of  our patrons to one of those support groups.
> However, I realize that it is impossible to take away a service we already
> reluctantly provide.  It would cause more harm than good.  At the same
time,
> I will hold firmly to my beliefs that the library's computers are not to
be
> used for e-mail.  All of this may sound weird, or even a little confusing
> coming from a future library student.  Heck, I will even admit that I am
> often addicted to e-mail.  Still, the fact remains that in a public
setting,
> I would rather see the computers used for more academic purposes.

Then maybe you should consider a career in academic libraries.  I have the
"advantage" of having worked in all sorts of libraries -- including holding
down the front lines on reference desks in public libraries -- before I
became a techie.  My personal philosophy is that having Internet
workstations in public libraries raises the overall level of computer
literacy in a community.  The public library has long been a resource for
self-education.  So, some of the homeless or the feisty old dudes who used
to sit around reading newspapers all day are now using Hotmail, playing
online chesss or trying on different personas in chat rooms.

Frankly, it gladdens my heart.
>
> In the near future, it will be interesting how views will change as the
> government will begin taxing for the use of e-mail.

Say what?

Shirl Kennedy
Web Doyenne
City of Clearwater, FL
http://www.clearwater-fl.com

>
> **************************
> Brent J. Pliskow
> Huntington Woods Public Library
> Webmaster / Technology Assistant
> Web Site: http://www.huntington-woods.lib.mi.us
> E-mail: pliskowbj at hiram.edu
>
>