Public libraries, public Internet
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb045456 |
| Date | 01 February 1996 |
| Pages | 127-128 |
| Published date | 01 February 1996 |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Focus Feature
Public libraries, public Internet
Today
Croydon,
tomorrow the world
Chris Batt, Borough Libraries and Museum Officer for the London Borough of
Croydon, believes that public libraries can use the Internet to become the most
important players in the future development of their communities. Physically and
virtually, the public library is the enabling institution for everyone. The Internet,
and community computing, mean that new networks of interaction and new para-
digms of service can be created. At February's Computers in Libraries conference,
Mr Batt described Croydon's plans, and how they are being put into practice.
Strategy
Perhaps contrary to other perceptions
of how the library can use the Internet
to serve the public, Mr Batt did not
want to put public access Internet
ter-
minals in the library, to let the public
pay. Experience from similar Ameri-
can
libraries,
he
said,
shows an 'anorak
problem' — a few enthusiasts monop-
olise the terminals, which not only
keeps other members of the public off
but is detrimental to the image of the
Internet.
Instead, Croydon's plan is to build
from the bottom up. Control groups
from within the community will be
trained in Internet
use.
A training offi-
cer will
be appointed to keep an eye on
their sense of purpose and to support
their development. Their use patterns
will be observed, and the benefit the
groups derive from the Internet will be
evaluated through time. In other
words, the Internet will not be thrown
at the
public — the public will explore
how it uses the Internet, and strategies
can be devised accordingly.
The future
The Internet, Mr Batt said, will enable
new models of cooperation, with cen-
tres of excellence sharing their knowl-
edge and giving a rapid response to in-
formation needs. Listservs are already
an example of this — for example the
Stumpers list, to which Croydon sub-
scribes, in which librarians from
around the world share their most
stumping reference queries. The
Stumpers list has enabled Croydon to
answer questions ranging from the
sublime to the ridiculous — esoteric
queries about rare volumes to what
kind of toothpaste Elvis Presley used.
Another existing example cited by
Mr Batt is Cleveland, which now has a
freenet — a paradigm of social com-
puting in which all the information
centres of the community (post office,
courthouse, library) are linked. This
focuses the community's information
needs into a community network. This
model can be extended into any com-
munity, anywhere.
The Internet will also bring learn-
ing to the people, and the library will
become a centre of community learn-
ing. Lifelong learning will become the
norm, with everyone having access to
a virtual university. Following
on
from
this last point, everyone will have ac-
cess to a personal virtual library, each
one customised to the individual.
To sum up, Mr Batt believes that
the components which will be essen-
tial in a healthy community — life-
long learning, community develop-
ment and economic regeneration —
will be made possible through the In-
ternet and through public libraries, and
the traditions and skills of the public
library service will be central
to the
de-
velopment and exploitation of net-
works and their information resources.
The
LA bids for the
Millennium
One way that public libraries can use
the Web, Philippa Dobson believes, is
providing Internet access
to the
public,
free of charge. Ms Dobson described
to the Computers in Libraries confer-
ence the bid that is being put together
by the Library Association for funds
from the Millennium Commission to
create a Millennium Citizen Network.
To take a full and active part in our
future democracy, the citizen of the fu-
ture will need access to the resources
of the information highways and will
need to learn new methods of commu-
nication. Like road highways, the in-
formation highways are there in prin-
ciple for everyone to use, and the
citizen of the future will need assis-
tance in locating and navigating them.
Public libraries are a key cultural
institution, Ms Dobson said, more
used than theatres or cinemas. They
also already distribute electronic in-
formation, of
a
sort, while to a typical
member of the public Internet
access
is
financially difficult or altogether out
of reach, taking into account
the
cost of
a Pentium PC, a modem and connect
charges. Providing access to the re-
sources of the Internet would give new
purpose and vision for public libraries,
and would build on the rich public li-
brary heritage as a community focus
and information gateway. Public li-
The Electronic Library, Vol. 14, No. 2, April 1996 127
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