Re: (Fwd) Porn and Public Access - Tx Telecom Jrnl (fwd)

[DUNHAM Patricia R <Patricia.R.DUNHAM@ci.eugene.or.us>]

? How can a library patron "compel" a library worker to do any such
thing?  I mean, isn't that what supervisors and co-workers are for?  --
For backup, that is?  What library worker is going to get into trouble
with their management for declining to assist a patron if the worker
thinks or knows that porn is what the patron is looking for?  What
library tells its workers that they have to help the patron find porn?
At the rate most complex images download, what library worker has to
continue to observe what the patron has found for so long that they
consider themselves "harassed"?

This  has been an educational exchange.  Makes me realize how LUCKY we
are to have our public-access internet facility set up the way it is.
The equipment came on a grant, so we wanted somewhere we could secure it
(lock it up when we couldn't staff the center).  The old Board Room,
about 12x20 feet, now houses the 8 PCs.   It does have restricted
hours-- it's located on the administrative level where no regular staff
work, so is staffed by volunteers, and we have a paid coordinator who
monitors, recruits and trains the volunteer docents.  The volunteer
staff are there to help people find their way around, learn to use the
equipment, sharpen their skills, and generally keep an eye on things
because it's a relatively isolated area.  We have had no vandalism of
the equipment that I know of.

In a way, the Internet Center's  a very public setting because of the
close-packed lay-out.  The coordinator says peer pressure (the presence
of other users) helps a lot to keep things on a business-like level;
tho' she has had occasion to tell individuals that "what you're doing
makes me very uncomfortable, if you want to continue with it, please
move to this other terminal where I don't have to see it" (there are a
couple of terminals located such that their screens are not visible to
the rest of the room).

Patricia R. Dunham - Eugene Public - 100 W 13th Ave - 97401
patricia.r.dunham@ci.eugene.or.us - 541-984-8321
http://204.203.17.34/library (EPL)     <<<>>>
http://members.aol.com/gerekr/Ravensgard.html (home)
 ----------
| From: Michael Schuyler
| To: Bill Michtom
| Cc: hatcher@selway.umt.edu; PNLA-L@wln.com
| Subject: Re: (Fwd) Porn and Public Access - Tx Telecom Jrnl (fwd)
| Date: Wednesday, April 09, 1997 8:20AM
|
| On Tue, 8 Apr 1997, Bill Michtom wrote:
|
| > >>  (One library union rep also warns the Internet could cause
| > >>  sexual harassment of workers.)
| >
| > What?!?
| >
| > To paraphrase the NRA: The Internet doesn't sexually harass.
*People*
| > sexually harass.
| > Does anyone know what the alleged reasoning is here?
|
| The idea is that if a library patron compels a library worker to help
find
| pornography on the Internet and the library worker is thus "exposed"
to
| porn, then said library worker may have cause to sue the institution
for
| allowing this incident to take place.
|
| This is, apparently, a legal opinion. On this issue, there are enough
| legal opinions to bolster nearly any point of view.
|
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