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Internet Revives Public Libraries
securitas writes "The New York Times' Steve Lohr reports on the effects of the Internet on public libraries, namely that the installation of Internet-connected computers have been largely responsible for a rebirth in public libraries and increasing attendance, particularly by 'teenagers, people age 50 and older and members of ethnic minorities' as well as low-income patrons without computers at home. According to a University of Washington study, 'A year after computers are put in libraries that do not have them, visits rise 30 percent on the average and attendance typically remains higher'. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - which funds PC-based Internet library projects - features prominently in the article, including the criticism that it is 'a Microsoft marketing exercise masquerading as philanthropy.'"
I hope this newfound popularity doesn't cause the libraries to neglect the books. At my college, this happened. They hyped their new "information center" and talked about how high-tech it was, but all they did was replace the books with connections to the internet. It's hard to write a paper when the best reference you have is the Internet. The information is so sparse on the Internet, compared to a book which tends to have pages and pages on a topic. Luckily, I was on my way out when I transferred there and never needed to write any heavy-duty papers on anything that wasn't computer-related. Books beat out PCs any day.
If there is going to be a comment on this story like "This is a secret Microsoft plan to steal your puppies", then could someone please explain what the Gates foundation actually does that could be construed as shady? From what I've seen, the guy, who happens to be one of the richest people in the world, is giving away a lot of his money to help put computers in schools and libraries that can't afford it themselves. OK, so they're not running Linux. OK, so they're not Macintoshes. It doesn't cost the guy a dime to put Windows in these places, does it? Also, remember what desktop operating system has 90% of the market and as a result most people would be familiar with.
Never hit your grandmother with a shovel, for it leaves a bad impression on her mind...
Although eBooks have been slow to catch on it would make sense for libraries to offer their entire selection of books available in ebook form. It could be costly at first but so are the computer, esp. ten years ago when they first started appearing libraries. besides, libraries don't aim to make money, but provide a service of knowledge, eBooks would increase virtual attendance overnight.
What are the stats on checking out the books? If no one is doing any more reading, then I don't see this as having any beneficial effect on libraries; they're just convenient places to put terminals, sort of like internet cafes without the coffee.
Great minds think alike; fools seldom differ.
Seriously, there are hundreds of them in stock, but you never see them on the shelves, because they are ALWAYS out. You have to search the catalog just to see what's available, and place holds to get them.
A woman at the 'checkout' said that she feels like she works at Blockbuster, more than at a library...
Why bother, anyone with a laptop and wifi can get the same level of anonymity, plus mobility.
Here in columbus, ga, they are building a new 60m dollar library. Its interesting the people I was speaking with about it yesterday said they thought libraries were a waste of money, that no one used them! I guess the results are in a show it to be a little different from what everyone expected.
I work part-time in the Montgomery County, MD public library system, and we've had internet access for some years now. In order to ensure that everyone gets equal access to the terminals, we do have a sign up process (which is currently in the process of being automated using library card information and session management software, but until that process is complete is done with old-fashioned pen and paper), but no records are kept: we hold onto the sign-up sheets only until the end of the day they are initially filled out, and then they are trashed, for privacy concerns. Similarly, all records of what any individual may have done while using the machines (browser history, cookies, etc.) are deleted upon logout.
As of now, we don't keep track of who was on what machine at any given time, to some extent because we can't: we have a very limited-access guest account (which allows for browser usage, access to a word processor, and not much else) that is used for all patrons. I'm not sure how the upcoming session management software will change this, but there have been ongoing discussions about potential privacy concerns (which, in my experience, libraries take very, very seriously).
As for the card catalogs, they work much the same way as the internet terminals do now: limited guest account for all patrons (which in this case allows only for access to the catalog, and not the broader internet). However, there are none of the usage restrictions that the internet machines have, where we limit patrons to one hour a day, and require a sign-up system.
Sean Daugherty "I have walked in Eternity -- and Eternity weeps."
Despite criticism that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation might have some vested interest in providing public access computers in libraries, I view this as a good thing. Public free access enables a lot of people who otherwise wouldn't be able to participate in online activity - for example, homeless people putting their resumes online in the hopes of finding employment.
In this case, funding came from a foundation started by a private individual. What about in other countries where there isn't so much of a culture of public donations (true, there are robber baron CEOs, but I'm thinking in the lines of the donations given by people like Andrew Carnegie)? Unless there's strong political will, I don't think it's going to happen - beneficial though it is, it looks more like a "nice to have" rather than a "must have".
From my own experiences, and what I've observed from others, the internet has created a strong desire for information. Unfortunately, most webpages are quite shallow in depth. A webpage with a few pages of hard info may be considered a goldmine, yet there may be thousands of overlooked pages at a local library. Does this apply to all topics, no.
Before the internet, I didn't care much about much. Now I do, and the library has quenched my thirst.
Agreed. It has been over 6 years since I last went into a public library in the UK: the books they had on the subjects I was interested in were so far out of date it was painful (books on electronics from the 70s for example!) After waiting for months for them to get a book I wanted I just gave up on them completely and had to resort to the far more expensive but infinitely faster option of buying the reference books I needed.
:/
Since then everything I know about them has been second-hand, but that alone is bad enough. How are people who aren't lucky enough to be able to buy books (especially the ludicrously expensive technical ones) supposed to learn this stuff? It's depressing.
Even the library at the university I work at is behind and has very restricted numbers on some of the most complex tomes
This varies on where you are in the UK. Cities clearly have the best deal, for example London and Manchester's huge libraries are great.
It tends to get worse the further out from cities you go, I currently live in a village and it doesn't have a library; although I've noticed a mobile library van but never used it.
Reminds me of the Hicks routine "'So, whatcha reading for?' Not what are you reading but what are you reading for. You stumped me."
A drive to the nearest town provides a good library with decent computers. The moral of this story is if your local library is dire visit another one in your county (no sign up required) or one further out (sign up but for free).
There was a piece on the BBC recently about how changing opening hours and focus increased library attendance a lot, but it seems to be the amazing vanishing story as I can't find it right now.
But now, will a bunch of kiddies come in and abuse it, and will I soon have to stnad in line and give my ID, thanks to them?
We'll see... (but even after 9/11 they never asked for an ID)
Here's what I do: Bitty Browser & Andromeda
I've always wondered whether the benefits of philanthropy offset the damage done in accumulating the fortune in the first place. It might not apply in Gates' case, but look at those who accumulated their fortunes through war, exploitation, theft, and so on.
Well, it's possible.... in Russia. Statisctics for Lib.ru :
:)
On 1 Oct 2003 library contains 4000Mb in 21200 text items.
Most of Lib.ru is in Russian (of course!), but it contains some English-translated texts: Russian prose and science fiction in English translation Envy
The increase in book loans from drawing in the extra people is probably minimal.
However, so long as it doesn't adversely effect the availability of books then it's not a bad thing. Providing free internet access to people that don't have it is a good thing, as well as the assitance that library staff can provide to people who aren't quite
Many communities in the modern western Europe and the USA lack any real community or cultural centre. If a library can fulfill this role in a greater way then more power to it. I personally would love to see libraries take on greater roles as centres of information, learning and debate. They were once greatly respected by the public.
The introduction of a network of public libraries in the UK in the 1850s was a landmark of progressive thinking and it nearly didn't happen.
One Consrevative MP argued (and had a lot of support in his party for this)that:
"people have too much knowledge already: it was much easier to manage them twenty years ago; the more education people get the more difficult they are to manage."
Society would be much the poorer if the libraries hadn't been approved by parliament, and by the same measure, society will become much richer if they recieve more support in the future.
Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
You may not know this, but some people live in really big countries, where the big city could 5 hours or more away by car. This is definitely a problem in Canada. Coming from a small town, all the books were seriously outdated, making research quite a hard thing to do. And travelling to the big city just to go to the library, was not an option I think it would be great if somehow we could get all the books online, in one place, allowing you to read any book you wanted to. I think that many libraries would be willing to pay licensing fees to access something like this. It would be a lot more convenient then buying a bunch of $100 books, that people are going to take out once.
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
Have to agree with what a number of people are saying here. As much as I like computers, and libraries, I'm not sure I really favour so much the current combination of them that we're seeing. Often, I've noticed they are not being used for research, and the people using them are not actually getting books out. Rather, you have 12 year olds going on yahoo chat, trying to sneak some porn, look up the latest on Britney, or other such activities. Libraries are for books, and consequently to increase literacy amongst the public. This does not seem to further that goal. Not to mention that things like this, and videos for instance, do eat away at libraries funds, both for connection and computer costs, and also because libraries sometimes need an extra staff person to monitor what's going on there. (Though in all fairness, I have used the internet in libraries before, it was helpful for me when I didn't have it at home and I can only think that there are others out there who are also using the system in a good way, and yes, I have quite often borrowed movies from the libraries (great when you have kids)).
Oh and the point someone mentioned about comp books in libraries being hopelessly out of date. Yes it can be pretty bad, plus, do they really need yet another book on their shelf on how to use Office?
here in georgia. Only one required a picture ID to login. All of them had sign in sheets, but you could put any name you chose I guess (except the pic ID one of course). The machines have definetly been the donated microsoft gates foundation machines. I have asked at two libraries if they would take donated computers that I would provide running linux, they said NO very emphatically, they run a windows network remote administered. The machines themselves are usually chock full of spyware/adware as near as I can see. I have not seen any of the librarians to be very computer competent besides logging and booting the machines up, all the work is done remotely by who knows who. One library I was in had installed cameras facing the screens. The most common uses I see glancing around is people use email and chatrooms. Next is research for papers or for people (stuck) inside the legal system doing research, then genealogical research.
The demographic split in the article is VERY accurate from what I have seen: teenagers, the over 50's (like me) and "recent arrivals to these shores".
One thing I have seen is their censorware is highly subjective and inaccurate, and frequently blocks sites that are in no way pornographic,etc, but are political, I have seen some sites come up as blocked because they are called "hate speech" sites when they are not, but they are on the blocked list anyway.
Now, as the economy is at an all time low, we've been seeing the same pattern. The usage of the library is increasing. Back when I was a page, the books that I noticed going over the desks very frequently were books on job hunting and resume writing. Now that I am in the IT department, I no longer have the opportunity to see what books are in high usage. However, I would hazard a guess that job boards and career networking web sites are prety high up there in internet usage, as would be e-mail (the top use from our perspective) and blogging. Where else can someone walk in, get access to the internet and begin to post their opinioons on politics, pop culture, business or whatever floats their boat? Free of charge? As an added bonus, many of us are placing wireless access points out there for the public. They are highly restricted to make certain that people can only use the web and read their e-mail (ports 80, 110, 143, https, etc...), but they are free access nonetheless.
Support your public library. They are really cool institutions and if their funding gets better, encourage them to grow their IT departments. I got my start in IT in a library and I've always seen libraries as a great place to start a career in IT. With the right attitude a lot of the smaller places are perfect for a high school graduate with computer skills or a college grad with a Comp. Sci. degree to start out and gain some really good experience.
Un-news
Oh, come now. I'm as much an opponent of the Beast of Redmond as any other guy, but this goes a little far. There is a time honored tradition in this country of leaving a man be when he is giving back the money that he stole from the public fair and square. Hell, Carnegie practically built the same American public library system with his contributions, and that was just so folks would forget that he used to like using the pinkertons to club everything that moved in his company slums. I say as long as billy boy is writing checks, big checks, we give him all the huzzahs and attaboys he deserves and stop questioning his motives.
THE YEAR WAS 2081, and everybody was finally equal...
I agree -- as a person who prefers to citique Microsoft on more substantive grounds than their philanthropy, I must say that they are doing some good here.
If you do the right thing for the wrong reasons, aren't you still doing the right thing?
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Computeri non cogitant, ergo non sunt
What I like about my local libraries are the excellent online catalogs. I can browse Amazon, and if I see a book I like, I can see if it is available at my library.
> London and Manchester's huge libraries are great.
/
Bzzzt! Manchester has some fine library buildings, and arguably some good collections, but the general room at the Central library is a classic example of an inadequate, underfunded and mismanaged public library. Worse, this is the main branch for a major city. There is a limited selection of old books (almost outnumbered by the videos for hire), badly catalogued and, despite the small number, confusingly laid out. On the day I went, a radio was clearly audible from the storeroom at the rear - if you can't even rely on the staff for "SILENCE", what use are they? (They certainly can't look after books.) Manchester seems determined to prove that public libraries cannot be a viable proposition, and when they finally - I almost add deservedly - close this shoddy excuse for a library service, the council will doubtless claim it is due to a lack of demand.
Ade_
Big Bubbles (no troubles) - what sucks, who sucks and you suck
I have to wonder how much more effective the local LUG may be towards closing the Digital Divide by providing Free and Open Source Software for Windows, Mac, Linux, and other OSes for the community through the library. And tutorials on how to use it for free to the community!
Additionally, I wonder how much more effective local LUG support would be for helping the Library convert and maintain newer and older PCs as Linux boxes, either as thin clients for those machines that are too slow, or as full-blown workstations on those that aren't.
I think the we local LUGs could be much more effective than Bill and Melinda!
--
Given enough personal experience, all stereotypes are shallow.
Working as a tech in a university library, I can tell you that we developed a budget to provide a large number of computers with internet access. An over the shoulder glance of those using it (as well as a proxy log) showed an abundance of porn and webmail usage - somewhere in the region of 75% - and very little usage for actual research purposes. This decreased significantly after we required a logon for access to certain sites (mainly webmail).
Our goal is to provide access to research materials that are either freely available or that we've paid for. It is not meant for email, and the problem at one time was so bad that there were lines of people, some of which who wanted to do actual research, waiting to use computers.
It's no longer a problematic issue, but it's still an issue.
No logs are actively kept at this time, but there are certain requirements built in (that I'm sure someone with enough time could circumvent) for accessing anything resembling webmail. Also, most ports (including 25) are blocked at the gateway for the publicly accessable machines.
Oh, and we've had the occasional call from the university police about someone sending nastygrams via a web submission form to certain locations. Not sure how it was resolved but I know the UP were not happy about our inability to identify someone who had used the computer at a given time.
I talk about stuff.
Libraries mission is to provide information to the masses. Internet access is, in its purest form, an extension of this, and therefore in keeping with its core mission. Abuses will surely exist, as they always have (I'm sure everyone knows of someone that went to their local library to check out risque' books & magazines), but the value of the services provided to those who can not afford them on their own far outweighs the impact of the abuse (most of which can be mitigated with simple controls).
As an aside, keep in mind that libraries do not necessarily just provide a few terminals, many also provide low-cost dial up access for there members. For example, the Baltimore County libraries have provided Internet access since 1995 at a nominal fee. Granted the cost today is comparable to a commercial provider, but historically has been substantially cheaper than AOL, Earthlink, etc.
Children in the backseats don't cause accidents. Accidents in the back seats cause children.
Librarian here, reading slashdot.
/all/ be followed, but the input is valuable anyway.
In fact, I take ideas for collection development* from Slashdot (among other sources) and use the book reviews here as purchasing aids just as I do the NY Times book review and Library Journal.
However, libraries are ALWAYS looking for suggestions on what to buy in specific areas. My specialty is physics (I'm not a career librarian), so I've taken over collection development* in the sciences and maths, plus computer science and technology.
My suggestion: Go to your local library, look at the computer books available (they're right in the beginning of the Dewey numbers for Non-fiction, around 005-006). Look for the "holes" in the collection, and ancient materials. Then go to Amazon.com or your bookstore of choice, pick out some additions and replacement, write down the TITLE and ISBN and (if replacing) WHAT BOOK it replaces in the library.
Now, make a list of the severely out-of-date titles in the collection that should be removed and discarded. Remember that the library still needs to serve the patrons who are still running Win95 with Works 3.0. We, for instance, got rid of six of our eight copies of "Windows 95 For Dummies", but kept those two copies just in case someone needs them. The cutoff point right now was Win95, so anything Win3.11 or earlier was removed.
Now, take your list to the library. Don't just hand it to someone at the desk--ask to speak to the person who is in charge of purchasing non-fiction books in the 005-006 range. Give that person the list, and explain to them what you've done (reviewed the collection, made suggestions) and why it is important to buy those books.
If you do this, and do this in any area of your legitimate expertise (gardening, sci-fi, etc.) you will be a tremendous friend to your librarian. Sure, they'll eventually discard the old, and buy new titles when they see them reviewed--but you can make the process MUCH more efficient. Your suggestions might not
Jim
*collection development: deciding which books to throw away, which books to keep, and what books to buy.
Librarians are a funny bunch. They take pride in what they do and would find it stomach churning to even consider doing something like that. Sure, there are bad appels in every bunch, but I think that you would find a very small minority willing to play that kind of game in the library world.
What happens when all this information becomes digitized? Libraries closing or becoming Internet only? Seems like that'd be the equivalent to the Library of Alexandria burning to me.
There are always going to be people who prefer books to electronic media. Personally, I can't relate totally since I tend to prefer electronic myself. But my wife (a librarian) will never give up paper books. If only for the sheer sensation of reading a dusty old tome and seeing that the last time it was checked out was 1956. There is a value in that for a lot of people. Those people tend to have a sense of history (again, I can't relate. I find history largely boring and pointless to my own existence) and thus a respect for older volumes.
Quick lookup and ability for unlimited viewers at any time is nice, but I'd give a nut for hardcopies of some of the stuff on my hard drive.
This is also OT, but with a name like "Rebel Princess", do you really have a "nut" to give? ;P
Un-news
I work for the Aurora Public Library. To prevent abuse (people staying on the internet for 10+ hours a day) and to give everyone a fair chance of getting online, we require a library card to access the system. Every 24 hours all records of library cards used for computer access are purged from the system, and we do not track what sites patrons visit (though we will kick them off if other patrons complain of seeing pron on someone's screen). Usually all 40 computer terminals are in use at any time. It works well enough - people have to get a library card, register as a reciprocal borrower, or buy a computer use only card if they live outside of any library district. The few complaints we have are outweighed by the fact that refrence staff doesn't have to babysit the internet lab all the time.
"What use is power to the Keeps of Balance?" -Disnt of Nightmare LpMud
My local libraries (I live close to 2 districts) have turned into my personal (and free) P2P & Netflix service.
Go on-line to library's website. Place as many CDs/DVDs as they let you on hold. Wait. Get an email telling you when the holds are in. Check them out and enjoy.
One district's library service even allows me to put holds in an "inactive" state, where I move up in the queue but don't get sent the item. This allows me to manage when I get the DVDs (i.e. season 2 doesn't arrive before season 1).
I have built a wonderful MP3 collection without much risk of the RIAA hunting me down (until I opened my mouth just now). Also, I have cancelled cable TV as I have hours upon hours of free DVDs to watch. Unlike the 5 days video rental places, the library gives me 3 weeks to watch the DVDs. I don't even browse the physical shelves anymore. I just search the library website, like I would Amazon.
The downside is that this has become so popular that 1 district (Portland, OR, USA) has started to limit the number of holds per patron to 15 at a time. Also, if your library's selection sucks (e.g. Chapill Hill, NC where my brother lives), you are SOL.