[WikiEN-l] Wikipedia and libraries

[Fred Bauder]

Wi-fi is the obvious solution for libraries. We've made the entire
downtown area of Crestone into a hot spot, not by plan, just by natural
growth of cafes and other nodes. The result is lots of people who gather
and use their laptops to stay connected.

Fred

> Around here (here being Evansville, IN, U.S.), the public libraries all
> put a 15-minute cap on your computer usage and also require you to have
> a valid library card. The reason is because the libraries don't have
> enough computers to support everyone. (Keep in mind that the clients
> aren't just people doing research-- this includes people with no
> Internet at home trying to pay bills or do online banking).
>
> I'm not sure how well-funded the public libraries are (it could simply
> be that libraries don't have enough/space/ to put more computers), but
> the ones around here don't seem to cater well to adults with computer
> needs, as it's very difficult to find an open computer with access to
> the Internet (several of them are limited to library catalog browsing,
> and these are rarely occupied)-- though if you're a kid, they've got a
> large section roped off simply for kids to play games online.
>
> Interestingly enough, my university's library sports several hundred
> computers, most of which are occupied all day long. Again, a student ID
> is required to use these computers, but the activity on them is
> relatively unrestricted (ranging from homework to Farmville).
> Additionally, the campus has about ten other labs hosting about 40-50
> computers each, providing students with all the time in the world to
> play Farmville.
>
> I've done a large portion of my editing in the university library in the
> past simply because the time restriction on computer usage was absent.
> I'd never even consider it at the public library simply because I
> wouldn't even have time to check my watchlist.
>
> Bob
>