As the police escorted out one of our community users this afternoon, a patron walked up to the desk and said, "You should talk to the Detroit Public Library about opening on Sunday and then the boogermen [sic] wouldn't come here."
Later today, a student from another college hoping to use our computers was visibly disappointed when I directed her to the Community Access terminals. Young, attractive, and well-dressed, she quickly garnered what was undoubtedly unwanted attention from her fellow computer users.
The presence of community members at the UGL is something I've thought about on many occasions. One of the reasons I have chosen librarianship as a career is my firm belief that equal access to information is a major contributing factor to our democracy. I feel passionately that people from all educational, socio-economic, and cultural backgrounds should have the right to seek and obtain knowledge free of charge and have the right to do so in an environment in which they will be treated with respect and dignity. Public libraries and librarians are bound to uphold this ideal. But where does this leave the UGL?
As an academic library, the UGL's main purpose is to serve the students and faculty of the University. Therefore, public access to university computing services should be seen as a privilege that must be treated as such, not as a right to be abused.
Because of my strong convictions about open access to information, I do believe that the University has a responsibility to the community of Detroit, and providing valuable Internet connection to those who would otherwise have no access is an honorable service. Putting that conviction aside, allow me to play devil's advocate for a moment. First of all, don't tuition-paying students deserve to have a clean and safe environment in which to study and work? Panhandling, disruptive behavior, and blatant disregard for Library rules occur on a regular basis. Secondly, how necessary of a service is the Library providing if community members use the Internet largely to access pornography, play online games, or participate in other web-based activity of dubious value?
Of course, community members aren't the only patrons responsible for unruly behavior, noise, and disregard for library rules and property. Students hold their own in those arenas. And of course, if the Library is going to provide Internet access, it's certainly not appropriate for the Library to decide what content is appropriate or beneficial for patrons to view. Certainly not all community members prove to be problematic, but the few who do certainly leave an unfavorable impression at the expense of those who do not.
So again, let's discuss, shall we? I believe that the potential benefits for members of the community outweigh the negatives, and in light of the DPL's limited resources for the population served here, it is, if not an obligation of WSU, then at least a step towards maintaining a positive and supportive relationship with the community.
Et tu?
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3 comments:
Members of the community have a right to use the library services available to them (computers, checking out books using a Michicard, etc.) as much as the students do. No, CMs do not pay tuition, but the university has a commitment to serving the local community to the extent that it can. It is unfortunate that some people come into the library high or drunk, but somehow I'd bet that students come in here a few sheets to the wind, as well. Although, I admit most students don't have to be carried out of the library by six police officers.
I feel that good librarians (and GSAs) give good service to all patrons, regardless of their status (student, professor, homeless person, or junkie). The library field is primarily composed of white middle-class women with middle-class values. We need (and I speak as a white middle class women) to be open to people from all backgrounds, lifestyles, and experiences. Yes, it is challenging to work in an urban library, but working here has really opened my eyes to aspects of the world with which I was unprepared and unfamiliar. I view this job as a great experience to interact with people from all walks of life. Yes, I get creeped out sometimes. Yes, I have my fair share of stalkers, but I cherish the friends I have made here--especially the community members. I genuinely like a lot of them and I feel great when I can make them smile or help them find information they need.
The DPL is a wonderful library and does what it can to serve the community, but as a university library a stone's throw away, I feel it's important that we do our part, too.
The public needs to understand that libraries are not places filled with goodness and light. As a public place, libraries are open to everyone, and if that makes some feel uncomfortable because their safe bubble world has been popped--too bad.
Btw, the Community Access computer terminals are filtered for pornography and gambling sites. The student computers in the labs are not filtered (to my knowledge).
I'd like to make clear that my comments on this post are not directed at any one person, but rather a general audience interested in LIS issues. I agree with many of the points Alice brings up in her post, and I applaud her for having the courage to talk about these issues in a public forum. These are issues the profession needs to be talking about. Further, we need to be offering solutions, or at the very least, attempting solutions.
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