ASSOCIATES (vol. 4, no. 1, July 1997) - associates.ucr.edu

Table of Contents


                     *INFO FROM THE SUPERHIGHWAY*
 
                                  by
 
                             Linda Putnam
                  Senior Library technical Assistant

One of the hottest topics in libraries today is public access
to the Internet.  You read about it in newspapers, magazines
and newsgroups.  You see discussions of it on library
listservs, as well as listservs of interested users; it has been
on all of the news programs and all of the news magazine
programs.  This discussion always goes hand in hand with a
discussion of appropriate use of the Internet and the
responsibility of libraries towards the use of their resources,
especially as they influence the impressionable minds of the
youth around the world.  This particular column was inspired
by a discussion on LIBSUP-L, the library paraprofessional
listserv where the debate was long and intense.  A few
months after the discussion, there was a request from a
library writing a policy on Internet use for any
currently-existing library Internet policies.
 
This issue has become very emotional because of its
connection with discussions of censorship (to which libraries
are traditionally opposed), what constitutes appropriate use
of the Internet, and the controversial issue of priority use
(priority use is the limiting of use by one patron because
others deserve equal access).  All of these issues are tied
together in the public's mind and can give library employees
some major headaches.  As with every other column I have
written, I have very strong opinions which come with my
experiences, but this column is not an opinion column; it is a
column designed to give you the resources to form your own
opinions.
 
Everyone has heard the discussions, debates, arguments,
etc. dealing with the issue of proper use of the Internet in a
public setting, but the personal views set out on a listserv or
in an interview many times vary from official written library
policy.  Policy will also differ by type of library.  Academic
libraries will have different policies than public libraries who
will have different policies than school libraries, but each will
need to have their policies in writing before the work stations
are open to the patrons.   Having a written policy is the only
way that the patrons will know where they stand.  It is more
than just the issue of free access versus censorship,
because each community's makeup needs to be taken into
account.  Having a written policy  will solve many problems
before they start; as the issues arise, you can just point to
the policy and say "I'm sorry but this is the library's policy".
Below is a selection of the many policies which are on the
web.  I tried to find a cross section of types which will help
the vast variety of libraries around the world.  Good luck in
your search for the perfect policy.
 
http://www.flint.lib.mi.us/fpl/about/policies/netuse.html
            Flint Public Library WebStation Internet Use Policy
 
               **********************************
 
http://chiba.netxn.com/~kclib/disclaim.html
            Kern County Library Internet Use Policy and
               Guidelines
 
               ***********************************
 
http://sparc.hpl.lib.tx.us/hpl/policy.html
            Houston Public Library Internet Use Policy and
               Guidelines
 
               **********************************
http://home.cyberave.com/~wisner/inetpol.htm
            Albert Wisner Public Library Internet Use Policy
 
               ***********************************
 
http://inberkeley.ci.berkeley.ca.us/bpl/files/usepolcy.html
            Berkeley Public Library Internet Use Policy
 
              *************************************
 
http://cavern.uark.edu/comminfo/ifc/policies.html
            IFC: Library Policies
          Pointers to Collections of Library Policies
 
             **************************************
 
http://www.bubl.bath.ac.uk/BUBL/Library.html
            BUBL WWW Subject Tree.  Library and Information
          Science.  Contents: LIS resources located on BUBL  LIS
          resources ...
 
              ************************************
 
http://www.grandeprairie.org/netuse.html
            Grande Prairie Public Library Internet Use Policy
 
              *************************************
 
http://www.sils.umich.edu/~slbailey/723/survey.html
            Youth: The Internet and Library Policy
 
              *************************************
 
http://www.capecod.net/fpl/policy.html
            Falmouth Public Library Internet Use Policy
 
          ************************************
 
http://birch.palni.edu/~mvillepl/aup.htm
            Mooresville Public Library Policies for Use of the
               Internet and Other Technology
 
            ***************************************
 
http://www.sannet.gov/public-library/net/access.html
            San Diego Public Library - Internet Access Services
            ****************************************
http://www.lib.lsu.edu/lib/policies/lpm25.txt
            Library Policies and Official Documentation
 
            **************************************
 
http://sjcpl.lib.in.us/homepage/reference/IntPolicy.html
            SJCPL's Internet Computer Station Use Policy
 
            *******************************************
 
http://www.benton.org/Library/KickStart/kick.communityresources.h
tml#examples
            Resources for Communities
 
            ******************************************
 
http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/library/poli.htm
            The Lake Oswego Public Library: Public Library
               Internet Access Policies
 
            **************************************
 
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/kansas/nekls/policies/burlpoli.html
            Burlingame Community Library Computer Use Policies
 
            ************************************
 
http://www.rcls.org/libland/inter.htm#POLICY
            RCLS LibraryLand: Internet Librarianship: Internet
               Policies
 
            **************************************
 
http://www.leonline.com/itw/barclay.html
            Internet Trend Watch for Libraries: August 1996
               Volume 1, Number 3  August 1996.The Barclay Law
               Library Intranet:  A Case Study  by Elmer R.
               Masters
 
            **************************************
 
http://www.burlco.lib.nj.us/policy.html
            Library Internet Access Policy
 
            **************************************
 
http://www.xnet.com/~bdale/inetpol.htm
            Internet Policies
 
            ****************************************
http://www.lib.hel.fi/strategia/english/otsikko8.htm
            Internet Guidelines for the Helsinki City Library
 
            *******************************************
 
http://204.203.17.34/library/accepuse.htm
            Eugene Public Library Internet Public Access Center
               Acceptable Use Policies
 
            *******************************************
 
http://www.mhl.org/internet/access.htm
            Internet Access Policy Memorial Hall Library
 
            ********************************************
 
http://www.el-dorado.ca.us/~lib-pl/interacc.htm
            El Dorado County Library Network Access Page
 
            *****************************************
 
http://www.intac.com/~kgs/freedom/polmfrl.html
            Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library Internet Policy
 
            ****************************************
 
http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~woernerc/home.html
            Christines Homepage This page is dedicated to the
               collection of resources on public
               libraries and the Internet.
 
            **************************************
 
http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/publib/USAUK1.htm
            A comparison of public library Internet connectivity
               in the USA and UK.
 
            *************************************
 
http://www.co.roanoke.va.us/POLICY.HTM
            Roanoke County Public Library Internet Access Policy
               & Use Guidelines
 
            ************************************
 
http://spinoza.pub-lib.ci.taylor.tx.us/0/taylorpl/policy.html
            Taylor Public Library Computer and Internet Usage
               Policies
 
            *************************************
 
http://www.willard.lib.mi.us/internet.htm
            Willard Public Library Internet Service Acceptable
               Use Policy
 
            **************************************
 
http://ukoln.bath.ac.uk/publib/lic.html
            Library and Information Commission Public Library
               Internet Survey
 
            ****************************************
 
http://istweb.syr.edu/Project/Faculty/McClurePaper1.html
            Policy Initiatives and Strategies for Enhancing the
               Role of Public Libraries in the National
               Information Infrastructure
 
            ***************************************
 
http://www.nclis.gov/info/fcc2.htm
            Findings from NCLIS studies of public libraries and
               the Internet
 
            *****************************************
 
http://trfn.clpgh.org/Internet/Policy/policies.html
            TRFN - Policies on the Internet
 
            ***************************************
 
http://cpl.lib.uic.edu/003cpl/computer/guidelines.html
            Guidelines for Chicago Public Library Computer Use
 
            ****************************************
 
http://www.csra.net/publib/usepol.htm
            East Central Georgia Regional Library -
               PeachNet/Internet Usage Policy
 
            ****************************************
 
http://www.ultranet.com/~uptonlib/internet.html
            Upton Town Library Internet Access andAcceptable
               Use Policy
 
            ******************************************
 
http://www.laurens.public.lib.ga.us/usepol.htm
            Oconee Regional Library PeachNet/Internet Usage
               Policy
 
            *********************************************
http://enfo.com/MailLists/muni-l/0171.html
            Internet access policy concerns