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Userful : Tools : Checklist
Checklist of Issues Surrounding Public Access
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Functionality
- Internet
- Web access
- Information from all over the world.
- Time-sensitive information
- Community information
- E-mail (HotMail/WebMail accounts or patron accounts)
- Chat
- Download
- Word processing
- Printing
- Laptop Connection
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System Administration
- Install security patches as soon as they are available
- Regularly monitor PAC for unusual system activity and network traffic
- Automatically clear all personal information from the computer between users (FOIP)
- Allow library card authentication
- Allow access to CD-Burners
- Regularly install software updates
- Prevent installation of spy ware
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Funding
- Capital asset bonds
- General operating expenses
- Grants (state, federal, foundation, corporate)
- Local fund raising
- Fees for services, e.g. fees to cover printing
- US: E-Rate discount (not actually a funding source)
- CANADA: Community Access Program
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Performance Monitoring
- Level of patron use
- Patron satisfaction
- System downtime
- Problems and interventions
- Unusual system activity
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Upfront Expenditures
- Equipment requirements
- Networking requirements
- Software requirements
- Facilities upgrades
- Furnishing
- Disability access
- Need for technical expertise and design guidance
- any money saved by not consulting with technology experts is invariably
lost later due to vulnerabilities or technical inadequacies
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Training & Support
- Ongoing maintenance and Updates --planning for a technology infrastructure
it is essential to consider the Total Costs of Ownership (TCO). These costs
that are most frequently inadequately addressed are the costs necessary to
provide for ongoing support and staff training and the costs for maintenance
and upgrade of computers
- Basic skills training for all staff
- Technical skills training for staff with technical support obligations
- Ongoing professional development to support patron use of the Internet
- Self-study
- Workshops
- Online discussion groups (informal)
- Online classes
- Portal Home Page
- Helpful for novice users
- Guide users to high quality material
- Default to filtered search tools
- Potential problem with establishing a portal web page with links that
ultimately end up at inappropriate sites
- Check initial links carefully
- Click-through agreement and/or signs disclaiming the ability to
assess all potential links from remote sites
- Classes for Patrons
- Basic skills
- Specialized use of the Internet, e.g. using the Internet to conduct
genealogical research,
- Children and the Internet (for parents)
- Safety on the Internet (for children)
- Support for Patrons
- Usually not provide to provide individualized in-depth training to every
novice user
- Building basic skills through training classes reduces demand on staff
- Use of student, senior and community assistants to provide support
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Policies and Procedures
- Development of policies for access
- Process to communicate policy to patrons
- Options: written form provided to patrons, on the computer as part of
the log-in process, posted by computers
- Click-through or Signed agreement
- Agreement should contain a waiver of liability as potential liability
is unknown
- Scheduling procedures
- Time limits
- Options: Strict time limits, time limits when others are waiting,
different time limits for different times,
- Sign up sheets
- Helps to manage time limits, good way to track usage
- Reservations
- Issues to address: in person or on the phone, staffing, location,
how far in advance, how many reservations, waiting period for "no-shows."
- Printing procedures
- Printing costs
- Where printer will be located -- need to control output if charging
for copies
- Download procedures
- Be sure users cannot save files to other computers on the network and
that all downloaded files are deleted on logout
- Insure all windows workstations have anti-virus software that is updated
regularly
- Floppy disks can introduce viruses into the system or damage the disk
reader
- Consider disallowing use of personal floppy disks
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Enforcing Policies
- "Tap on the shoulder" -- reminder of policy
- Repetition or refusal -- ask to leave; remove privileges for period of time
(how will this be enforced?)
- Refuse to leave -- call security or law enforcement
- Notice to parents if a minor
- Keep records of incidents and intervention
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Potential Misuses
- Illegal behavior -- violation of provincial, state, or federal laws or actions
that may give rise to civil liability
- Computer security violations -- going beyond authorized access hacking,
intentional spread of computer viruses
- Use of computer for illegal activities -- arranging sale of drugs
- Display of obscene material or display of obscene material to minors
- Trafficking in child porn or obscene material
- Sending threatening, harassing, or defaming e-mail
- Violating copyright law
- Disruptive behavior
- Excessive uses
- Downloading large files
- Extensive hot mail, chat activity
- Groups of people around one computer
- Options to address potential problems
- Prohibit in policy
- Intervene if occurs
- Inform patrons that routine system maintenance may give rise to obligation
of staff to report suspicious illegal activity to appropriate legal authorities
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Offensive Material
- Inadvertent access to inappropriate or offensive material
- Mistyped URLs
- Bad searching strategies
- Following links from other sites
- Options to address potential problems
- Disclaimer in policy
- Classes on searching strategies and methods to assess information accuracy
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Privacy Concerns
- Privacy concerns arise from:
- Patrons/staff looking over the user's shoulder
- System level monitoring and routine maintenance
- System failing to delete history file at log off
- User failing to log off properly
- Privacy concerns can be addressed through:
- Disclaimer in policy
- Computer placement and/or visual barriers can improve privacy however
poor visual privacy helps moderate intentional access to inappropriate
material
- Set computer to delete history when patron logs off -- encourage patrons
to log off and inform of potential that next patron could access their
history files if they do not log off
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Children's Access to Inappropriate Material
- Material that is of concern (many of these sites are being designed to attract
children)
- Sexually explicit material or sexually-oriented chat groups
- Potentially dangerous material (recipes for bombs)
- Violent hate literature
- Sites that promote alcohol and tobacco
- Sites that promote illegal behavior
- Violent games
- Two issues
- Inadvertent access -- treat as an educational problem
- Intentional access -- treat as a policy violation
- Options to address potential problems
- decide on the extent to which such material ought to be "off-limits"
to children (or in the children's section of the library). Concerns include:
- Children who are not accompanied by parents
- Viewing by other children
- Options for youth access
- No access for youth under a certain age
- Youth access under a certain age only if parent present
- Youth access with parent permission -- signed form with disclaimer
- Other issues to consider
- Open environment in children's area -- all computers readily visible
- Staff monitoring and assistance
- High quality children's web site that guides to appropriate material
- Default kid-safe search tools
- Filtering on computers intended for children
- Classes and material for parents and children about child safety
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Child Involvement with Sexual Predator
- Most common method of interaction is chat
- Probably not a legal responsibility to intervene, but probably a moral responsibility
- Options to address potential problems
- Options discussed above with access to inappropriate material
- Staff should be aware of signs of potential involvement -- vulnerable
child, excessive chat activity, furtive behavior, quick change to another
site if an adult approaches -- and seek to intervene
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