Author’s Note: It is hard work being shallow, bitter, angry and potty-mouthed full-time, so I have to give the Garbageman’s Daughter shtick a break and follow my more bookish tendencies. It is time to throw in my thoughts on library science alongside my sick kid stories, excessive Prince posts, literature name-dropping and low-brow humor.
Being startled by snickers and giggles, I raised my eyes from the computer screen at the reference desk. At eye-level view, I saw a thin waist covered in a khaki skirt and a hot pink satin blouse, as my eyes continued upward I saw an emaciated body that stretched about 6 feet 3 inches topped with scraggly blond hair, bold stripes of peach rouge on her cheeks, shimmering blue eye-shadow and an Adam’s apple. As the laughter and slurs were elevating, she asked me, “How do I get on EBSCO database?”
“Do you have a library card?” I asked.
“No,” she said.
“Do you have some form identification like a driver’s license, state ID or passport?” I said.
“I have a Visa card with my picture on it.”
“Go upstairs to circulation, and see what they can do. Come back downstairs, and I’ll set you up on a computer.” At the moment, I knew that circulation would not issue her a card, but restoring silence to my area and getting back to my stack of new books to label and display were my chief concerns.
Ten-minutes later she returned. “They won’t give me a card, so what are you going to do?” she asked.
“I am sorry without a library card. I am unable to get you on a computer. Would you like me to do the search for you?”
“No. It is personal. So, what are you going to do?” she insisted.
At that moment, my choices were to uphold library policy and turn her away without the authoritative information that she needed or break library policy by putting her on the computer with my personal library card. Service or Policy? Tough decision. I chose poorly.
I resolved to uphold policy over service, fearing consequences of breaking library policy. Following the rules caused me to fail a patron—a patron who was seeking accurate, authoritative information (presumably but necessarily about sex change operations). As I failed the patron, library administration failed me; with their strict computer usage policies, the library’s governing body perpetuated the digital divide, allowing library card ownership to be a barrier to access. Requiring all computer users to be library card holders continues to alienate many groups that live on the fringe of society without proper ID that legitimizes their existence. Groups that tend to fall in this category include the homeless, ex-convicts, illegal immigrants or non-English speaking legal immigrants, the marginally housed and partially employed, transients, and others whose identifying documents expired during periods of instability such as unemployment or an out-of state move.
For those of us who have current legal identification or a computer and Internet access at home, we are on the right side of the digital divide; we are the “technology-haves” opposed to the "technology have-nots” who do not have computer and Internet access. In theory, public libraries are suppose to bridge the gap for the "technology-have-nots," giving them free access to computers, computer software, databases and Internet to perform the electronic tasks that are becoming a necessity for job searching and filing government documents. But, if a library’s computer usage policies mirror their circulation policies, society’s marginalized groups are frequently denied both bibliographic and technological privileges.
Some library governing bodies decide that barriers are necessary to accurately report usage statistics, protect their property and track individuals who are breaking library policy. Although these limitations and restrictions vehemently defy guidelines established American Library Association (ALA), most public libraries are bureaucratic entities that are managed by a larger government machine, which is more concerned about budgets and risk-management than the free access to information. By setting these restrictions and limitations, city, county and state governments are placing a larger burden on their library staff. When staff cannot give patrons computer access, they frequently spend time doing searches for marginalized patrons. For instance, in my previous job, I spent a substantial amount of my time (probably at least 10-percent of my reference desk time or about 3 hours a week) assisting a homeless man find information on things such as “defending oneself in a drinking and driving case” and “how to fight against statutory rape charges.” I consistently served our regular patron who stayed at the library everyday from open to close, but he would have been better served by being able to perform his own searches with mediated assistance as necessary.
Libraries should look at how restrictive computer usage policies impact both patrons and staff. So, what should libraries do to ensure that the digital divide is not propagated?
1. Make database access available on your library catalogs. Do not require a library card for use. (You can still get those all-important tracking statistics, and only a minuscule amount of non-residential users will use the databases, so you do not have to worry too much about user community).
2. Have express stations that have short time limits that do not require a library card. (Depending on your computer management software program, you can issue temporary cards for 15 or 20 minutes sessions; have a staff person monitor the use, or have patrons self-govern based on the honor system).
3. Issue temporary or visitor passes with longer use periods for people who have expired or out-of-state IDs. This will provide more access without book check-out privileges.
4. Do not block computer access due to high overdue book fines, or set your block triggers around $20 or $25, although blocking computer use based on library fine balances could prevent patrons from applying for a job that would give them the money to pay the fine.
5. Keep printing fees as low as possible.
As society becomes more technology driven, there will be a greater and continual need for libraries to offer more electronic access to all citizens. We may need to shift some of the old governing paradigms, but libraries can continue to play an integral part in the promotion of technology literacy and access.
