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| BOOKS VS. BYTES Should libraries go high tech? August 4, 1997 |
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Questions asked
in this forum:Should librarians choose which Internet sites are appropriate for patrons? How can we keep libraries' computer terminals convenient and accessible? Does installing filtering software on library computers impede First Amendment rights? Would creating a separate children's area of the Web solve the First Amendment question? Will computers allow people to access library databases from home? Will we have "virtual libraries" in the future?
Online Backgrounders
A report on Internet filtering systems.
NewsHour Backgrounders
March 20, 1997
Elizabeth Farnsworth leads a discussion on the Communications Decency Act, which was opposed by the American Library Association.
December 30, 1996
A discussion of the increase in Internet popularity.
Outside Links
American Library Association
New York Public Library
Should more shelves of books or more computer terminals be in libraries' future?
This question is sparking debate all over the U.S. as libraries decide whether to direct funds toward computer technology or the latest in literature. Many libraries have already upgraded their old card catalog systems to computerized archive menus, and now Internet technology can connect users to online reference databases, e-mail, and the World Wide Web.
But the influx of new technology has left some library patrons wondering what will become of the books. This debate came to a head last spring in San Francisco with the unveiling of the city's new Main Library.
The $140 Million structure may have represented a move toward technology, but that trend was not well accepted by those who had grown accustomed to the 19th Century style of "old Main." The library's problems increased when a furor erupted over the 100,000 books removed from the library's collection, which critics charged were removed to fit the collection into the new building. Library officials maintained that the disgarded books were outdated or damaged. The 12,000 daily visitors that inundated the new library also caused problems, overloading the library's check-out system.
Large numbers of patrons forced some librarians in New York City's Public Libraries to create waiting lists, and session time limits, for the library's computer terminals. Each branch of the city's libraries now offers patrons access to an online database that includes scores of periodicals.
In addition, a problem facing libraries across the country as they become Internet-ready is the regulation of access to Web sites with adult content. Some libraries have installed filtering software to keep minors away from adult sites, while others say that parents, not libraries, should oversee their children's Internet experience.
Regulating Internet access in libraries has become a topic of much debate, with some community groups arguing for stricter restrictions, while others cite First Amendment protection over patrons' rights to view the Web unfiltered. Librarians continue to wrestle with finding a delicate balance between allowing access to the Internet and protecting children from accessing sites meant for older audiences.
This forum asks if libraries should concentrate on technological development, or should they stick to books? If libraries do computerize, what steps should be taken to ensure efficient and safe use of this technology?
Joining us for this forum are Ann Symons, President-Elect of the American Library Association, and Norman Holman, Director of The New York Public Library's Branch Libraries.
Questions asked in this forum:
Should librarians choose which Internet sites are appropriate for patrons?
How can we keep libraries' computer terminals convenient and accessible?
Does installing filtering software on library computers impede First Amendment rights?
Would creating a separate children's area of the Web solve the First Amendment question?
Will computers allow people to access library databases from home?
Will we have "virtual libraries" in the future?
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