[10603] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
No subject found in mail header
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Public-Access Computer Systems For)
Tue Sep 10 21:00:44 1996
Date: Tue, 10 Sep 1996 19:40:57 -0500 (CDT)
From: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <LIBPACS@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Caroline nachman said:
"Many Internet users recognize the dire need of poor and
non-PC-educated people for internet access and training.
Approximately 100 million people in the US lack the
equipment, access and/or education to effectively use the
Internet. Rather than accept a divsion of America into
Internet haves and have-nots, we believe that public
libraries can, working with private financing sources,
provide such access and training."
It is difficult to argue against public aid to the poor
but some (deliberately provocative) things to consider:
We are now in the info age where we were when the phone
was first introduced. How many libraries offer free phone
service to the poor? Is phone service less important to
the poor than net access? How many libraries provide free
photocopy service to the poor? Realistically, what is
the Internet information that the poor need? What
information do the poor need that is not in the daily
newspaper and the printed materials? Agreed the poor
should have everything the rich have. But should the
have net access before health care?
Lets be REALLY cold blooded for a moment. Libraries
need to remain relevant or they will continue to lose public support. The
public who demand value for
their tax dollars are not the poor. The best service
to the poor will come as a byproduct of vigorous
healthy libraries. Taking resources from the services
we provide to our 95% middle / upper middle class users
may not be in anyone's interest at this time.
Regardless of income, it is important to get public
net terminals in the library because the terminal is a
window to good information. But more important than
getting the net in the library is getting the library
in the net - because that is where our future is.
**********************************************************
Millard F. Johnson zendog@incolsa.palni.edu
"I would rather risk failure than achieve it without risk"
**********************************************************
