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Free internet access is being taken for granted in libraries
• A MEMBER of staff in one of Camden’s libraries has drawn my attention to an increasing problem in some branches.
There have been incidents where library users and members of library staff have been assaulted by angry people trying to get access to computers at very short notice.
This is a reflection of the changing pattern of library usage, where people use libraries as “information shops”.
One staff member was approached by a member of the public at a time when the computer system was not working and he complained that he was unable to run his business without using the library’s computers.
At another branch a member of the public went to fetch a local councillor to get another member of the public thrown off a machine because they wanted to use it.
It is quite clear that the free internet access that is available to the public in Camden’s libraries is prone to this kind of abuse and that library staff have only a limited ability to “police” the people using the computers.
As the service is provided free it is taken for granted by people who need to take more responsibility for their private computer access.
I would suggest that a nominal fee on all internet access at Camden’s libraries – say £1 for an hour – might limit this abuse and make people appreciate the excellent service that Camden’s library staff provide.
V THURGOOD
Princess Road, NW1
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