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Doesn’t it piss you off when you go into the library in the evening and ALL the computers are available for use ; BUT you’ve used all your time for the day. What a waste of valuable technology. People should be allowed more time if the computers are not in use
—Gimme more time
This article appears in Aug 6-12, 2009.
33 Comments
Don’t be so cheap. Open your wallet a teensy bit and buy a cheap machine from Kijiji or Bargain Hunter or some other place.
Man, you get two hours.
After two hours, it may be time to read a book.
If you’re still on the computer after your 2 hours, that means it will not be available for others who come in hoping to find the computers to be free.
If they didn’t have a 2hr limit the library would be full of homeless people bitching on LTWWB about how people are assholes for not dropping change in their Tim’s cup.
I agree with the OP. Public resources should not be left idle when people are wanting to use them. We should integrate a course of “pragmatism” into the school systems so people/librarians can feel comfortable USING THEIR HEADS. Part of their job description is customer “service”. That does not mean their default position ought to be, “no, forget it, thems d’rules”. Maybe we should include the word “service” in that pragmatism course.
It’s either idle computers or idle people wasting time in front of them. You get your 2 hrs, that’s fair. What do you NEED more time on a public computer for? You can only look at so much porn in a day.
Why does the computer NEED to sit there idle, Miles?
The library staff can’t over ride the system for one person when its not busy. They put the 2 hour limit because its really busy during the day.
Like mole rat said, the time limit helps to ensure that the computer is available when another patron wants to use it. It’s about being fair. Sometimes that means computers may sit empty, but the time limit was probably put in place to promote fairness.
I’ll admit, I’ve never once gone to the library to use a computer. I see a sign that says 2 hour limit and another demanding $2 to enter the lab area, er whatever. When I’m told that a computer program cannot be manipulated by its operator one word comes to mind, “incompetent”.
virgomom, are you’re a librarian with experience on the library’s resource management software (if there is such a thing)? If so, what’s the system called? Tell me and I’ll provide at least one inventive way the pragmatic PERSON could have provided useful customer SERVICE during an idle time in the computer lab.
Oooo I really want to tell a story about a certain Canadian tire “service” person who was willing to forgo a sale in favour of collecting personal information about the customer to satisfy computerized work order system.
Let’s not loose focus on why we do what we do. Our gov’t decided internet is essential enough a service to offer in PUBLIC libraries. Why? So we can have computers sitting there idle when the PUBLIC wants to use them? I think not.
Kay, I see your point, it’s just that most of the time, the time limits make sense as a way to ensure fairness with computer use. Once you implement the time limits, there are bound to be times when the computer will be not in use. That’s kind of the point.
Now, if there is lots of downtime, then you should consider extending the time limit or getting rid of it. If there is no downtime, then you need to shorten the time limit or buy more computers.
Makes me wonder if there’s a clause in the written principals governing public computer use that says something like, “…and two hours per day per individual is sufficient service of this ‘essential’ Canadian service”
I suspect it’s not something that is codified Kay. Just a policy implemented because some people were hanging out on the computers all day, especially at peak times, and keeping other people from accessing it. Setting a time limit is the best way to promote fairness and avoid having to constantly monitor the computers and kick people off who stay too long.
I’m sure they could change the time to 3 hrs or 15 min or whatever.
And I don’t think they put computers in libraries because it’s and essential service. It’s in the library because it’s and information resource. If there were no time limits, you would have numpties on there all day updating their facebook status.
It’s just about managing resources. 2hrs on the computer. 3 week loans for the books. The library is about sharing resources and the policies are just trying to support that. Don’t make it into something it’s not Kay.
And if you really NEED the internet for more than 2hrs per day…you might want to find another way to access it.
i got a cheapy to sell.it has registered xp pro on it,and is net ready.50 bucks takes the thing home.i have a keyboard and mouse and monitor that can be given also.not the fastest thing in the world,but works just fine.
oh, and for about 40 more bucks, a friend can set you up with a wireless airlink internet unit that plugs in the back, to use linksys internet.
What is this now, Love the Way We Kijiji? Classifieds are one tab to your left.
We felt the 2 hr limit was sufficient enough and yes depending on what branch you go to sometimes the computers are empty. At our branch it is usually the same patrons during the day that come in for their 2 hours.
Eh. Just get a laptop and utilize their free wireless services….no time limit on that (at least not at the branch I frequent).
2 free hours online is a LONG time. Do you know how much that would cost at Kinko’s?
2 free hours is a long time if you know what you’re doing… or if you’re not in there trying to get real shit done while your laptop is getting repaired or… there are a shit load of reasons why a person might want to use the computer more than 2 hours per day, hence the 2 hr limit!
I think 3 weeks is long enough to read War & Peace or almost any book. Some people don’t. We don’t say they can’t renew the book. (because there are multiple copies and no reservations pending)
I just think the spirit of the legislation/expenditure ought to be implemented when the resource is sitting idle. Maybe instead of a “per day” clause it should be a “per 4 hour clause” allowing the resource to be “leased” to another for at least 2 hours… just to keep things fair.
PK’s onto something cool… lend wireless adapters to people with laptops.
miles,no,it’s called being logical.to someone looking to get a computer,if you had one,you would mention it too.i don’t do this as an idea to sell something.just offered it as a recourse if said person doesn’t have a lot of bucks.i used to get,fix-up and donate a lot odf these older things.but got out of that,because parts got too hard to get,for free.so i had this extra one of my own,made the offer,and the rest is history.have a good wet one yo all.
But Life Sucks, why would anyone want to buy your computer? It’s space bar is broken, right?
Nice one mosley.
Shhh….DON’T MENTION THE SPACE BAR.
You know, there are other places that offer free internet as well…if someone actually needed more than 2 hours online, what would be the big deal in moving to a CAP site after your time was up?
What’s a CAP site?
Community Access Program. From their website –
C@P is a federal, provincial and community initiative. There are about 200 C@P sites in Nova Scotia, serving 11 regions. There is also a francophone network. All told, users spend more than a million hours on the computers every year – and the usage continues to grow.
Some CAP sites also offer free help to those who are inexperienced with computers.
It seems reasonable to me that the library has time limitations on computer use. However, if there’s no one waiting to use the machine at the end of the 2 hours, I can’t see why the window couldn’t be extended.
I think it’s what mole rat mentioned before…if they extend it, then that computer is not free when another patron wants to use it. Then you have to kick someone off. Now, if all the machines are not in use, then letting someone stay on for more than 2hrs is reasonable. You just need a good way to implement the policy.
Maybe the usage beyond the 2 hours could be made subject to termination at any time – so that people who’ve used the computers for more than two hours would be compelled to get off the computer immediately – no choice – if someone else needed it. Because otherwise, you know they wouldn’t. I have been in the library before to use a reserved time slot (before they had the automatic shutdown) and had some dickwad sitting there ignoring me, then when I point out that his time is up, saying “oh just a few more minutes” or “let me finish up” to the point where I’ve had to go get a librarian to kick them off. I think that’s the point of the computer automatically kicking the person off after 2 hours, and perhaps a similar system could somehow be implemented to allow overtime, but prevent abuse.
I kind of agree with Kay — 2 hours isn’t long enough for some people. I’m doing two internet courses during SSII and I spend way more than 2 hours online every day working on the courses….the lectures are live online and are 2 hours themselves, so…..if I didn’t own two other laptops and my macbook crapped out I’d be screwed if I had to rely on the public library for computer services.
Maybe if the library had designated time slots and if the computer is still free 10 minutes into that two hour session, someone who had their two hours for the day can have that computer for that hour, and so on for the next hour. It is kind of a shame to see computers free for hours and not be able to have people use them.
Also, aren’t there computers where you don’t ahve to log in? Couldn’t people just use those until they’re kicked off? 😛
Maybe time should be used more wisely…