[Publib] "Serious" internet users versus "entertainment"users

[Judy Anderson]

Let us not forget that there are libraries who list themselves on myspace. 
Someone could be researching libraries on myspace.

Judy Anderson
Oregon
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>From: "Audrey Lewis" <a.lewis at saginawlibrary.org>
>To: "Anne Killheffer" <anne at stratford.lib.ct.us>,<publib at webjunction.org>
>Subject: Re: [Publib] "Serious" internet users versus "entertainment"users
>Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2006 14:16:35 -0400
>
>What is the difference to the library if they are on myspace.com or if they 
>are doing "important" research?  Do we judge some books to be more 
>important than others?  Anywhere I have worked, the patron gets so much 
>time if others are waiting.  Everyone gets their "hour" whether they are 
>playing solitaire or studying medicine.  We don't make value judgements on 
>what they are doing on the computers unless, of course, you have rules 
>about what they may and may not do.
>
>Audrey Lewis
>
>Audrey Lewis
>Director
>Hoyt Library
>505 Janes Street
>Saginaw, MI 48607
>989-755-0904
>
> >>> "Anne Killheffer" <anne at stratford.lib.ct.us> 6/28/2006 1:47 pm >>>
>Now that it is summer, the number of young teenagers who are spending the 
>day at
>the library has skyrocketed. We have ten internet computers which are 
>almost
>always booked all the time. We have software that ends each session after 
>30 or 60 minutes if others are waiting, so your time on the computer comes 
>to an end automatically.
>
>The computer users who are trying to write a resume or research a term 
>paper are annoyed, and I think rightly so, when they have to give up their 
>computer to someone who wants to check myspace.
>
>I can't think of a clever solution. We can't (and we don't want to) 
>prohibit people from using myspace, watching Youtube, writing emails to 
>their friend who is actually sitting at the next computer....But I feel we 
>have some kind of greater responsibility to serve people who are using us 
>as a resource to find work or further their education.
>
>Limited computer time to two hours a day seems like it would penalize 
>everyone. Giving longer sessions to people who are doing research or 
>looking for work would work for about one day, when everybody realized that 
>all they have to do to get a longer session is tell us they are doing 
>research.
>
>Anyone have a solution that cuts through the Gordian knot?
>
>Anne Killheffer
>Reference Librarian
>Stratford Library Association
>2203 Main St., Stratford, CT 06615
>
>203-385-4164
>anne at stratford.lib.ct.us
>
>


><< AudreyLewis.vcf >>


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