[Publib] Attitudes in the Library.

[Mimi Morris]

"Play is the work of the child" -attributed variously to Maria
Montessori, Piaget and others...creates the premise that every activity
that children do expands their mental and physical universe.  Even
computer play!  I've read that surgeons use computer games to hone their
fine motor skills.  My own twenty-something children spent most of their
teen years exploring the gaming/online universe.  They are extraordinary
keyboarders (keyboardists?) and are far more adept at finding online
information than many librarians I've seen.

 

As for adults using computers "frivolously", don't we all have the right
for a little downtime?  It's the same argument I've heard throughout my
admittedly long career for not investing in paperbacks, romances,
fiction, music, movies, email, and computer games.  I do not want to be
the person to judge why my patron wants or needs a specific library
resource.  I don't know what is going in my patron's life that creates a
need for a little escapism.  We allow our Adult Summer "Reading" Club
patrons to include music and movies.  This is partly because the mission
of our ASRC is to promote our collections, and music and movies are part
of those collections.  It is also because I heard from so many of our
patrons when they felt tremendously excluded from summer prizes and
festivities because they were "non-traditional" in some way.  They may
have had low literacy skills that made reading a chore, they may have
had some disability that made traditional reading difficult.  Even more
commonly, their lives were just so stressful that music or movies were
helping them keep their sanity, while the focus of reading was just too
much.  These people were often caregivers for other family members.  The
first year that we allowed music, I had a woman call me in tears.  She
thanked me for allowing her to use movies because her husband had
advanced Alzheimers' and she felt she could not take time to focus on a
book, but she could have a movie on her TV screen and click it on and
off as needed.  The stress relief kept her going.  She's a taxpayer in
my community.  She is my constituent as much as anyone with "serious"
research interests...whatever those are!

 

Isn't that judgment about what constitutes legitimate library use a
slippery slope?  I use the library to plan my next vacation.  Does that
get trumped by a job seeker?  That kind of decision compromises
everything that I believe in as a librarian.  I, for one, don't want to
make it.

 

My opinions only....

 

Mimi Morris

Assistant Director for Branch and Extension Services

Dayton Metro Library

mmorris at daytonmetrolibrary.org 

 

________________________________

From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Peter Tuite
Sent: Friday, March 27, 2009 9:49 AM
To: Mary Soucie; Super11771 at aol.com
Cc: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: RE: [Publib] Attitudes in the Library.

 

Its hard to believe that people are so oblivious on the cell phone
issue, but there it is. As for computer use, everybody's entitled to do
what they want, as long as its legal. I do feel a bit frustrated when
someone who needs to find a job, apply for unemployment or take care of
some other serious  business can't get computer access while kids are
fooling around. 

________________________________

From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org on behalf of Mary Soucie
Sent: Thu 3/26/2009 11:54 PM
To: Super11771 at aol.com
Cc: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: Re: [Publib] Attitudes in the Library.

I agree that cell phones use can be annoying. We ask patrons to take it
outside if it's disruptive.  

 

I don't think the uses listed below constitute abuse of computer time. I
agree with Terry- it's not up to the library to be the computer use
police, unless a patron is truly doing something illegal.

 

Mary Soucie

2009/3/26 <Super11771 at aol.com>

At our local library, I see countless folks on their cell phones and
abusing computer time by playing Flash Games and using Facebook. I guess
it is well within their right for people to use the local libraries
internet, but it would seem only fair that those that are doing research
projects get first priority; of couse I can imagine the headache that
thi would be for the library staff.

Thoughts?


-- 
Have a great day!

Mary

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