When the first modern hen the first modern hen the first modern hen the first modern hen the first modern hen the first modern hen the first modern hen the first modern hen the first modern hen the first modern hen the first modern hen the first modern hen the first modern hen the first modern hen the first modern hen the first modern hen the first modern hen the first modern hen the first modern hen the first modern hen the first modern American merican merican merican merican merican merican merican library was born in 1731, the idea was simple: take a valuable educational resource — books — and make it available to the public. More than 200 years later, libraries still operate on that same principle — but now, the educational resource may come in the form of a Web site rather than a well-worn tome.

These days, Internet access is nearly as popular a feature at libraries as the books that line their shelves. Almost 99 percent of the nation’s public library branches offer Internet connections, according to a recent survey by Florida State University. For residents who don’t have Internet service at home, the library’s workstations are their keys to email, online job applications, Internet shopping and more, says Catherine Threadgill, director of the Brazoria County Library System.

“We are their computer, for a lot of our patrons,” Threadgill said. “They come in and do their email and all that at the library. They just don’t have [a computer] at home.” Of course, providing library patrons access to the dizzying, freewheeling Internet has different challenges than providing a selection of books and research materials. To preserve freedom to information while still adhering to community standards, libraries are increasingly adopting Internet usage policies — a preset list of guidelines that patrons must adhere to when using library computers.

A well-written Internet policy can help keep children from becoming victims of sexual predators, ensure that computer terminals are fairly shared among all patrons and keep county computers from being attacked by viruses. But choosing a policy that works isn’t always a simple matter. In touch and clear When formulating an Internet policy, libraries should take the standards of their community into account, says Gloria Meraz, director of communications at the Texas Library Association in Austin. TLA doesn’t have a boilerplate policy for members to use, Meraz said, simply because there’s no single right way to do it.

“We very much believe that all libraries should have an Internet use policy that is developed by the library in conjunction with the community,” Meraz said. “They need to find out what works best within that community.”

Public opinion can be gauged through advisory boards or citizens’ committees or by offering feedback forms on the library’s Web site, Meraz said. These groups help decide what types of online resources are most important to local users. A small rural town with a large senior population, for example, may find that many patrons use the library to research health information. Thus, the library may set its browser filters to allow all health-related Web sites, or seek to block faux health sites. They may also spend more energy blocking scam sites geared to toward seniors. “It has a lot to do with knowing the demographics and kinds of users you are going to have in the library,” Meraz said.

TLA’s Intellectual Freedom Handbook, available on the association’s Web site, also has advice that can be applied to Internet resources. The association’s annual conference often includes continuing education workshops on Web access.

The Harris County Public Library formed its first Internet policy in the 1990s, when the World Wide Web was just starting to become popular. The policy was developed by library staff, representatives from the county attorney’s office, liaisons to the commissioner’s court and members of the public. The policy, available on the library’s Web site, has changed little since then, said Rhoda Goldberg, the Harris County library’s interim director. Another key to developing an effective set of Web guidelines is to make sure that they are clearly communicated to patrons. The Brazoria County Library System has the rules posted on its Web site; surfers at the Bridgeport Public Library in Wise County are required to read and accept the policy via computer before they can use the terminal. “There’s no excuse for not knowing,” said Pat Stegall, the library’s director.

Putting a lid on the Web

Most public libraries have filtering software installed on their workstations as a consequence of the Children’s Internet Protection Act, or CIPA. Passed in 2000 and upheld by the Supreme Court in 2003, this federal law requires libraries using government “e-rate” discounts on computers and Internet access to install filtering software on their computers. Sexually-oriented Web sites seem to be the main target of these filters; Threadgill, with the Brazoria County Library, said her filtering software blocks “lewd adult entertainment,” as well as sites that promote illegal activities.

“If they wanted to go to the Hustler Magazine site, it would be blocked,” Threadgill said.

However, restrictions imposed by CIPA should also be tempered with the need to provide unguarded access when necessary. When the Supreme Court ruled on CIPA in 2003, it said that the law would only be constitutional if it required librarians to disable filtering software upon the request of an adult. For that reason, most libraries now have a process by which users can request that sites be excepted from the filtering software. In Brazoria County, users fill out a form that is sent to library personnel for consideration.

(It works both ways; if a user comes across a site that he feels should be blocked, he can also send a request to that effect.) Requests to unblock sites aren’t always granted. “We had one gentleman that wanted to get into a site that was kind of the neo-Nazi type stuff,” Threadgill said. “For that one, I went to the DA and we chatted about it. We decided it was just not appropriate.”

Does the Supreme Court ruling require librarians to grant access to pornographic Web sites? The answer isn’t quite clear. Several librarians said they would ask patrons to leave if they insisted on visiting sexually-oriented sites, since those sites violate the libraries’ acceptable use policies. But Goldberg said when a patron makes a general request for unfiltered access, the sites that they visit aren’t monitored after the filter is removed. If a user is spotted visiting adult sites, Goldberg said, librarians may just move the user to a computer “where it’s not real noticeable, so other people don’t have to look at it.” The library hasn’t issued a set of hard-and-fast rules on the issue, she added, simply because it doesn’t come up often. “Library computers are generally used for good purposes,” Goldberg said.

Internet filters go a long way toward preventing minors from accessing adult Web sites, but many libraries also require their underage patrons to obtain parental permission before using a library computer. At the Bridgeport Public Library, for example, children under 17 must have a signed permission slip to access the Internet, while children under 13 must actually be accompanied by a parent.

“A parent or adult must sit next to them,” Stegall said. “That policy’s been in place for about 18 years now.”

Content issues aside, sometimes libraries restrict access to sites for practical reasons. In Brazoria County, library computers have limited access to chat sites and games, which use an inordinate amount of bandwidth on the county’s T1 lines.

“If we had everyone in the library chatting, the whole county would fall to their knees,” Threadgill said. For a while, she added, they contemplated blocking social-networking sites like MySpace and Facebook because of their bandwidth use, but eventually decided to upgrade their Internet infrastructure instead.

Everyone gets a turn

As with most public, free-of-charge resources, there is often more demand than supply when it comes to library Internet access. Thus, some libraries impose time limits on their users. In Bridgeport, users can have up to two sessions per day for a total of 2 hours per day. Exceptions are sometimes made for students taking tests for online courses, Stegall said, but for the most part, everyone respects the limits without protest.

“When two hours are up, they know they’re out,” said Stegall, whose library has 10 computers for public use. “They can’t use the computer again that day.”

Brazoria County, which imposes a 30-minute limit when people are waiting to use the computers, has installed time-management systems on their computers that automatically disable the computer’s functions when the time limit is up. Users are given 10- and 5-minute warnings before time runs out. By automating the Internet session times, librarians can avoid having irritated patrons lash out at them, Threadgill said.

“It always got ugly when you came up [to end their computer session],” Threadgill said. “It can get hostile.”

To avoid keeping customers waiting in line for a free workstation, the Harris County Public Library’s 26 branches have instituted a reservation system. Using a separate terminal in the library, patrons can schedule a computer session for later in the day and return at the appointed hour. Having appointments makes scheduling easier on everyone, Goldberg said.

Beyond blocking

When formulating a long-range plan for public Internet use, libraries should also try to help patrons find the best information available, rather than just set limits. This is accomplished, Meraz said, by having full-text databases like Medline and Consumer Reports available to patrons. Equally important is education on how to use the data sources and how to distinguish quality facts from questionable information. “We want to make sure people who come into the library understand that these resources are available for them and that they know how to use them,” Meraz said.

The Harris County Public Library has more than 70 databases available to patrons for research. Most are available remotely through the HCPL Web site; users enter their library card number for access. Some databases are made available to the library through TexShare, a consortium of libraries administered by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Others have been purchased through a local, informal consortium of Houston-area libraries.

“We pool our money,” Goldberg said. “The more people who go in on these types of things, the greater the savings.”

Many, if not most, libraries also offer assistance to patrons on how to effectively use the Internet. In Brazoria County, help can be as formal as classroom-style lessons or as informal as asking a librarian a question.

“At some of our branches, we teach classes that are as basic as how to turn on the Internet,” Threadgill said. “Some people just walk up and say ‘I’m stuck here, how do I use [Microsoft] Access or Excel?’ Last year, we actually trained 18,000 people on the Internet.”

Libraries can also serve a vital community purpose by disseminating important information to local users. During the 2008 hurricane season, the Harris County Public Library Web site held a banner reminding residents to register with 211, a service for residents unable to evacuate themselves during a disaster.

As the world becomes increasingly online-oriented, publicly available Internet access becomes more and more expected and desired. “This is a tremendous benefit to the public,” Goldberg said. “Plus, we have trained professionals there to help.

Web Explorer Harris County library helps staff, residents untangle the World Wide Web

Once upon a time, the Internet was a fairly simple tool.

The average online session consisted of checking e-mail and reading the news. But the World Wide Web of 2008 bears almost no resemblance to its 1998 ancestor. Now, surfers can check traffic conditions, Google information, watch legislative hearings, share limitless photos, report their own news, complete the crossword, upload videos, create podcasts, blog about their day — the possibilities are endless. But the crush of new applications also means that it’s easier than ever to get overwhelmed online. That’s why the staff at the Harris County Public Library launched iHCPL, a program designed to educate library staff — and anyone else who comes across it, from residents to elected officials — about Web 2.0, the catchy name for the newest generation of online programs and services. “The Internet and the trends have been about people moving toward more social applications, doing photos, videos, things like that,” said Grace Lillevig, the library’s eBranch librarian. “Our staff really wasn’t familiar with that. We wanted to introduce it to them so they would be aware of it, be able to use it, and be able to help our customers.”

The program is basically a list of tasks to complete via the Internet, though the library has expanded it to include more advanced tasks relating to nutrition, exercise, Geographic Information Systems and the environment. The tasks are designed to introduce non-techies and paper enthusiasts to all the tools available on the World Wide Web. The tasks are available to the public at large, though some tasks may not be suitable for all situations. Some tasks are geared toward personal entertainment; others pertain to downloadable content, and while the links listed in the iHCPL are safe, computer users need to download with caution. Most information technology specialists recommend not downloading information on to computers, since the information could contain harmful viruses and other attack software.

Lillevig and her colleagues modeled their program on the Learning

2.0 initiative developed by the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County in North Carolina. Under that program, Charlotte library staffers were rewarded with prizes for completing 23 specific tasks on the Web, like setting up a blog and using the online video site YouTube. Harris County Public Library’s iHCPL also originally included 23 tasks, but the curriculum is slightly different. It can be viewed online at http://ihcpl.blogspot.com.

“They had a full program up, and we modified it to our system, our staff and our customers,” Lillevig said. For example, the Harris County program included information on Internet safety and online identity theft. In exchange for completing the 23 tasks, HCPL staff members were rewarded with 10 hours of continuing education credit — half of the 20 hours that full-time employees are required to earn each year. Web Explorer Harris County library helps staff, residents untangle the World Wide Web

About three weeks after library staff began their work, the Harris County Public Library invited its patrons to learn through iHCPL. Patrons are encouraged to consult library staff if they have a problem completing an exercise. Since patrons’ progress is voluntary and not tracked, Lillevig said there is no way of knowing exactly how many customers have taken advantage of the program.

In February 2008, the library launched a second installation of the program, called iHCPL: The Next Generation. The library again offered employees training hours as incentive, but the earned hours were tied to a series of 8 modules. Employees completed as few or as many modules as they wished, depending on their credit-hour needs.

The Next Generation blog, online at http://ihcplnextgen.blogspot.com, is also available for library patrons and the public to browse. The curriculum consists of technology topics not offered in the original program, like online gaming and web-based weight-loss tools. The library is also planning a third generation. Lillevig and her colleagues said one of the best things about the program is its virtually nonexistent startup cost. The only significant investment was the work hours spent developing the curriculum and monitoring participants’ progress. Even the online videos, which were shot by a library staff member, were free.

“Any library could do this,” Lillevig said. “It doesn’t matter how big or small you are. This is adaptable for anybody.” Two other organizations in Texas — the Allen Public Library and the Spring Branch Independent School District — have also launched their own versions of the Charlotte library’s learning program. “A big aspect of libraries and learning now is playing and experimenting,” said Vaughn Branom, the Spring Branch District Library information specialist. “You need to get in there and play.”

One of the biggest benefits of the Spring Branch program, Branom said, is its impact on students. Librarians who complete the program, named Library2Play, are able to teach the Web-based applications to teachers, who can then pass on that knowledge to their students.

“We’re working hard to give kids the option of using technology in their assignments,” Branom said. “Not everything is a paper-and-pencil action now, and if a student wants to work on a computer to produce a product online — that’s where all of this comes into play.”

That direct benefit to students is a reminder of the overarching goal of the Harris County library’s program — to get library staff and the community excited about acquiring new skills.

“That was the goal underneath all of this — to introduce a culture of learning,” Goldberg said. “We want people to learn like they’re going to live forever.”

Jennifer Acosta Scott is a writer in Parker County, Texas.