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Library changes — The Volusia County Council made some policy changes Jan. 21 that will make it harder for library patrons to access pornographic Web sites on library computers
By Al Everson
posted Jan 26, 2010 - 9:04:29am
The Volusia County Council made some policy changes Jan. 21 that will make it harder for library patrons to access pornographic Web sites on library computers, and more difficult to rent popular DVDs.
Also, library users will be limited to 25 items checked out at one time. The limit formerly was 100.
All computers in Volusia County public libraries have Internet filters to prevent patrons from logging on to X-rated Web sites. However, users have been able to disable those filters on computers in the adult sections.
Under the new policy, a patron will have to request permission in writing to access a blocked Web site “for bona fide research, or to enable access to another for another lawful purpose.”
Only patrons 18 or older may make the requests, and granting them will be at the librarians’ discretion. Also, librarians may take up to 72 hours to respond to a request.
“I don’t think sexually explicit material has a role to play ... when we try to enhance the culture of the community,” County Council Member Jack Hayman said.
Hayman was part of the six-member majority that approved the new filtering policy. Council Member Josh Wagner dissented.
Another policy change eliminates reservations for entertainment DVDs. Reservations will still be taken for educational DVDs.
Reserving DVDs consumes a great deal of librarians’ time, according to Library Services Director Lucinda Colee.
She said the county could save approximately $200,000 a year by stopping the practice, noting the amount equals the wages of four employees.
The libraries will continue to accept reservations for DVDs of documentaries, foreign films, instructional programs, and television programs.
While the new rule on porn filtering took effect immediately, DVD reservations will be accepted through the end of January.
A total of 246,171 reservations for entertainment DVDs were handled by the county during 2009. There were fewer than 27,000 reservations for other kinds of videos. Each transaction costs about 92 cents, Colee said.
County officials had talked about charging for DVD rental, but state rules prevent it.
“If the county charges to rent DVDs, it loses state aid,” Colee told the County Council.
The county spent $321,379 last year to buy DVDs. The county’s 15 libraries have a total of 95,741 video items.
The county also hopes to reduce losses of library materials by reducing the number of items a patron may have checked out at one time from 100 to 25.
County Manager James Dinneen has told the County Council the library budget may have a deficit as large as $1 million in the coming year. Additional savings are expected from closing two smaller libraries, one in Holly Hill and the other in Daytona Beach.
Reader Comments
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They are not going to layoff people at the library, all that will happen is that instead of filling the holds they will sit and do nothing. The work at the library is not complicated stuff, everything is tagged with a number. I used to volunteer at the library as a kid and had little trouble replacing books in their spot.
So, get off your "someone who has never had the motivation to improve yourself" attitude and understand that in these one-horse enclaves ones degree and what one may or may not konw is less important, in many instances, than whom one konws.
Understand, I am in know way belittling payed library employees, quite the contrary I admire their abilitiy to be able to put themselves into positions to enjoy such a backside intensive jobs.
U sound like someone who has never had the motivation to improve yourself by furthering your education. Now you are mired in self-pity and disparage your betters because they have applied themselves while you still have your mind tied to your behind. The Republican party is full of folks like your own bad self.
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