Managing Public Access Computers and the People Who Use Them.

The article discusses the management of public access computers in libraries. Many of the problems that have risen with the use of technology in the library are actually not new problems. The twist in public access computer management is that computers are capable of doing so much that it is difficult to restrict their use to only library-related functions. A computer that can access the library's online catalog on the Web can also be used to access personal e-mail, download music for a user's private collection, or play games. The struggle of library employees in the U.S. to allocate their computer resources fairly has not gone unnoticed by the general public. Librarians who were early pioneers in bringing information technology to the end user shared their experiences and frustrations through the Public Access Computer System mailing list. While there are some technological solutions to help libraries manage public access computers, the larger problem will remain. There will always be irate patrons unhappy with library computer access policies and procedures. At the end of the day, the best solution may be some library humor. A comprehensive source of library-related humor is the Laugh'n'Links section of the Laughing Librarian Web site.