The Safelibraries Guy gleefully sent over a more colorful headline for This News from Ohio, where Lakewood Public Library Director Kenneth Warren wants you to know there’s nothing private about the 60 public access computers at the main branch. Every 15 minutes, a staff member takes a stroll around the center to make sure library patrons are not looking at pornography, engaging in illegal gambling or visiting other questionable Web sites.
Now the library, which recently opened a new technology center, might expand its monitoring policy by using free software, called virtual network computing, that allows librarians to remotely monitor what a patron is viewing on a computer screen.
too far
” … engaging in illegal gambling or visiting other questionable Web sites … ”
Oh? That’s an awful lot of meddling for small change. And “questionable web sites” is far too wide a mandate. If you’re looking for porn, say so.
At the end of the article it says that staff bust people for having myspace pages up with “racy photographs.”
I have several pictures on my work computer of women with their faces and shoulders bared for all. Should I be worried?
Overreaction.
way to go, Ohio
Not since the reelection of GWB am I this embarrassed to be from Ohio.
Lakewood? VNC?
I have been away from my native Cleveland for too long. Then again, Lakewood is a separate jurisdiction from Cleveland. This appears to track with trends in that end of library practice.
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Stephen Michael Kellat, Host, LISTen
WOW!
Every 15 minutes? WOW! I wish I had some time to do that! Unfortunately, I’m usually stuck at the desk… you know, DOING MY JOB.
/rant
Some books contain the machinery required to create and sustain universes. Tycho (Jerry Holkins) @ Penny Arcade