FreePint Bar: Re: Tales of the City

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Re: Tales of the City - Public Libraries

Author:

Jacqui Grainger

Date:

Tuesday, 17th Jul 2007 10:37

Views:

1,319 (excluding Digests and RSS feeds)

Category:

People and Places

URL:

http://www.freepint.com/go/b160992

It was interesting to read this as I used to work in a small branch library in Hampshire that was very accomodating and supportive to readers/visitors wanting to use People's Network in the spirit that the Government originally intended. The staff were flexible: freeing up booked computers that weren't claimed, allowing people to stay on if there was no further demand and issuing visitor passes to those who had not joined the library.

I had a very different experience on holiday in Wiltshire where staff, in many more words, refused access to non-library members. I'm aware that some library services charge for access to People's Network and I've found this disturbing because it too defeats its original purpose of enabling universal access to technology and the internet. It can enable the startup of a business but once that business breaks even it seems unfair to use a public service to subsidise it. The real issue we should address is the growing divide between the opportunities of the affluent and the deprivations of the disadvantaged. When I had no computer of my own I had access to one at work. There are plenty of people who don't.

Start New

Topic

Author

Date

•	Tales of the City - Public Libraries
	London, 2007: a. First PL library approached has what seems to be 7 members of staff milling about - tried to ...

Emilce Rees

14/07/07 17:26

160152

•	Re: Tales of the City - Public Libraries
	I think there's now options, like internet cafes where you can check your emails at minimal cost. Personally, as an ...

Lari Law

25/07/07 21:08

163496

•	Re: Tales of the City - Public Libraries
	I cannot speak for other London Boroughs, but in my own, pcs are not left unused for "invisible people" as ...

Ian Ramage

25/07/07 12:41

163356

•	Re: Tales of the City - Public Libraries
	As a former public librarian I remember it could be quite hard to control the bookings for PCs, people would ...

Katherine Ingham

20/07/07 16:00

161968

•	Re: Tales of the City - Public Libraries
	Quite apart from the question of whether it's appropriate for someone who just turns up to jump the queue ahead ...

Diana Nutting

18/07/07 09:14

161273

•	Re: Tales of the City - Public Libraries
	Point 1: Libraries are NOT free - my council tax in London has almost trebbled in the last 10 years ...

Emilce Rees

23/07/07 14:09

162758

•	Re: Tales of the City - Public Libraries
	No one who has posted on this thread has suggeste that public libraries are free. Your comments on both the users ...

Diana Nutting

24/07/07 09:47

163042

•	Re: Tales of the City - Public Libraries
	Offensive to some maybe , but there is also more than just a ring of truth about the remarks ! I ...

Barry

24/07/07 20:27

163161

•	Re: Tales of the City - Public Libraries
	""Village People" is really apt" Really? Why is this? I haven't used a London library for a few years ...

Miriam Palfrey

25/07/07 08:47

163296

•	Re: Tales of the City - Public Libraries
	From a college library viewpoint, we (currently) reserve PC slots for students and will ring fence that slot for 10 ...

Claire Roberts

24/07/07 16:04

163117

•	Re: Tales of the City - Public Libraries
	a - It rather sounds as though you tried to access the internet on a catalogue terminal that probably wasn't ...

Miriam Palfrey

24/07/07 15:59

163116

•	Re: Tales of the City - Public Libraries
	It was interesting to read this as I used to work in a small branch library in Hampshire that was ...

Jacqui Grainger

17/07/07 10:37

160992

•	Re: Tales of the City - Public Libraries
	After they closed down the wonderful Bancroft Road PL, they moved the stock to Canary Wharf. Don't know where ...

Zena

17/07/07 12:24

161016

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