EMail Access at the Public Library

[Caryn.Wesner at uspto.gov]

Charles -

The Arlington County (VA) Public Library system allows e-mail access.  After
my workplace cracked down on personal use of office computers, and before I
was able to afford a computer of my own, this was the only way I had to get
to my e-mail, and I was VERY grateful for it!  Their policy is to allow the
public to sign up for a computer (which may be done by phone) in half-hour
blocks.  If no one is signed up for the next half hour, or if the person
signed up doesn't show up, you may stay on in half-hour increments.  The
only problem I ever ran into with this was when a teen-age boy had obviously
signed up, using different names but the same handwriting, for about six
spots - they didn't have any policy in place to deal with this.  Other than
that, it worked well, from a user's standpoint.  Why would you not allow use
of e-mail in the first place?

Caryn S. Wesner-Early, MSLS
Technical Information Specialist
Biotechnology and Chemical Library
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Phone: (703) 308-4501
Fax: (703) 308-4496
caryn.wesner at uspto.gov


Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2001 16:50:38 -0600
From: "Charles B. Gambrell" <cbgamb at acan.net>
To: web4lib at webjunction.org
Subject: EMail Access at the Public Library

Some of our staff are again discussing allowing the public to access email 
accounts at our library.  At present it is our policy to not support public 
computer access to email.

I am curious, in the Public Libraries, who allows and who does not allow
email.

Maybe some of you can respond to me "off-list" regarding your policy and/or 
your experience.

Thanks for the help.



Charles B. Gambrell
System Automation Assistant Manager