I have had it with my local libarary. (Those who know we know that this is m only route for internet access)
Regaurdless of which pC I am using evey type of page I try to access runns slowly & sometimes not at all
One PC has a broken headjack stuck in the headphone socket. I have pointed this out & 3 months later it is STILL THERE
They block access to sites which they concider are "occult" first of all some of these site are NOT occult. (Such as the Fortean Times Web site)
secondly even if they are I am an ADULT and I am pretty sure that this is illegal under human rights (If I knew which act it was under I could quote it at them)
I lose at least half an hour out of the limted 2 hours permitted waiting for pages to load.
They don't update opperating systems for months...
Now I have lost twitter. can't use it at all
I have made complaints before. I just seem to be fobbed off.
What canI do to get my points taken seriously?
I have complained a
You'll need some cheese to fix that broken jack plug for a start.
As for complaining, how about writing to your local newspaper, M.P. or parish council? See if you can get a petition together with others who feel the same way, maybe even including local teachers and pupils. Maybe get all your friends to write letters to the head librarian and the Minister of Words (or whomever is in charge of libraries).
Remember, though, that there's not a lot of money about for luxuries like libraries, so maybe you could organise a bit of help instead of just complaining. Perhaps you have a qualified IT buddy who will give the library computers a once-over occasionally; perhaps the IT class from a local school could assist for extra course credits; organise a raffle (eg.) to raise funds to fix the computers; beg some local businesses and private individuals for second-hand computers, practical aid or cash; have a look if there are any Lottery, government or private grants aimed at IT.
How's that for a start?
Quote from: The Doctor Alt 8
What canI do to get my points taken seriously?
I have complained a
Looks like you ran out of the permitted two hours.
Yep, you've guessed it.
In fact the council is bringing in volenteres for certain jobs. (So they can cut staff) They want to privatize the service (and if they had their way close down at least 2 out of the 8 libaray branches.) The locals are putting up a brave fight but I am thinking it's inevitabe.
But what do these people exspect when, asked how much council tax they would like to pay... most oppted for the lowest rate rise?
The council tax is an unlawful charge anyway (did you ever sign a contract with the council? I know I didn't).
Quote from: The Legendary Shark on 28 September, 2012, 05:36:32 PM
The council tax is an unlawful charge anyway (did you ever sign a contract with the council? I know I didn't).
We have missed you something
awful, Sharky. :D
I am blessed with a bloody fantastic local library, which is the primary source of weekly entertainment for my whole family, and at various times has been my office and my only legitimate source of free internet. I hate to hear stories like the Doc's, a library is a society physically asserting the value it places on information access and community education, and a crappy one says a lot.
However, my experience is that practical IT skills are in short supply in almost every organisation, and libraries are no exception. I'd agree entirely with the Shark, and suggest your best course of action might be to approach the librarian with a
proposal rather than a complaint.
Perhaps a local tech-savvy business could spare some tech support in exchange for some good publicity, or as Sharky says, perhaps a third-level college could take it on as a project. It's definitely worth asking around, and then coming back to the librarian with a firm proposal.
As I've found out as my scavenging activities have expanded from mushrooms and seaweed to electronics, spare parts for computers, especially PC desktops more than a few years old, can be snapped up at any decent recycling centre and in many skips. Once you have someone with a screwdriver and a bit of confidence to hand, a new (free) headphone socket could be swapped in in about 5 minutes. If there was any willingness to embrace change, a switch to Linux would eliminate the updating OS problem, but I suspect that's asking too much of any public service.
Librarian here...
You're out of luck if your borough is anything like the one where I work. I don't work in the public library side of things, but our library runs it's systems via corporate IT in the borough and our counterparts in public do the same (we all have to).
The 'occult' thing is common - a school where I worked blocked access to websites about Chinese New Year for this exact reason.
You want to ask for someone who handles IT queries in the library (either the local or central branch). Whenever I get an access issue I will need to forward it to corporate who 9 times out of 10 solve it without any further questions. Give them a list of URLs and say that it's for research purposes. I do take enquiries like this seriously - we deal with researchers and trainers. Your library may host external training courses and so should have a system for unblocking web filters for legit sites.
Regarding hardware, you're probably out of luck. Councils are rolling out virtual networks (as a money-saving/ outsourcing scheme) so depending where you are there may be upgrades coming, but public library terminals tend to be down the list priorities.
Software and operating system wise - again rollouts are very slow. We're still on XP and not long ago wern't even allowed IE8. Our best PCs have 2GB RAM, most have just 1GB and that's eaten up by the masses of monitoring and anti-virus systems.
Regarding getting your mate in to fix the PC - good luck. I've bypassed IT to strip down PCs here but I'm friendly with the staff there and they know that I know my stuff. I got disciplined once, though for breaking IT rules and regs, though so don't expect council staff to let a random bloke with a screwdriver loose - it's more than their jobs are worth!
Quote from: The Doctor Alt 8 on 27 September, 2012, 05:41:59 PM
secondly even if they are I am an ADULT and I am pretty sure that this is illegal under human rights (If I knew which act it was under I could quote it at them)
Not sure what 'human rights' has to do with anything here. They are giving you free access on computers which were bought with taxpayer money. Right or wrong, as democratically-elected representatives of the people, the council have a remit to decide what you should or shouldn't be allowed to do with it. If you make the right people aware that they will lose votes as a result then things may change.
It would appear that the Libarary has now banned & blocked access to all sites it regaurds as "Social Networking"
So now I cannont gain access to my FAcebook Twitter or other sites... and it may only be a matter of time before they figure out a way to stop me comming here to.
What is even MORE STUPID is the fact that they allow Windows Messenger to exist (Although They will be discontinuing the service themselves within the year so perhaps they felt that they didn't need to BOTHER)
they have now blocked access to YUKU... on the same basis that it is a social Networking site.
This means that I can't even manage my own web site....
comming here may well be next...
The block still continues.
I am going to be writting to my MP, the two local newspapers & to our radio station.
Any tips/ assistance would be appreciated.
In times where basic services are being cut back or eliminated completely is it really a worthwhile use of resourses to provide Twitter and Facebook access to the general public? I've not been in a library for years but when did their remit start to include the provision of Farmville and 2000adonline?
As for the council tax being illegal I'm pretty sure I never signed a form for VAT or income tax or national insurance either but I tend to take the view that taxes are needed to provide basic services for all. And Bebo.
Quote from: Buttonman on 02 January, 2013, 05:57:08 PM
In times where basic services are being cut back or eliminated completely is it really a worthwhile use of resourses to provide Twitter and Facebook access to the general public? I've not been in a library for years but when did their remit start to include the provision of Farmville and 2000adonline?
libraries are becoming more and more like big internet cafes with fewer and fewer books these days, so it's a remit they've taken on. It wouldn't cost any morte to allow access to these sites. It may be worth while writing to ask for an explanation of why certain sites are blocked - if it's not a cost thing, I'd be interested to see what reason they give.
I gotta agree with Mr Buttonman, in these times of austerity the tax payers money should be spent on services that are really needed.
We in Conservative controlled Maidstone have just had a multi million pound library built and yet front line services will be cut even further than they are at the moment. Until we are out of this mess, I think we need to sort out other things first.
As for the speed of the internet in the library, I think it should be the bare minimum. Why should people on benefits be on a slower speed just because they can't afford 50mb along with their Sky Sports and Movie package :lol:
Apparently the block on facebook twitter ect was caused by a programe fault... caused by the the Libarary technicions trying to do something they plainly didn't have the skill to do...
Honestly they are like monkey with bleeding hammers round here.
_________________
As an aside, I love my library. I regulalry (at least twice a month) take my three boys there. Ages 7, 5 and 2 they are nevertheless made very welcome. The children's section is decorated seasonally (autumn, halloween, christmas, winter, summer - lots of sea shells) and all at the staff's cost. The staff are helpful, knowledgable and seem to get real pleasure from my children's enthusiasm.
And yet we stand to lose it all. On a recent school trip, only 1 in 8 kids in the class had EVER been to the library. Now this is perhaps a reflection on their parents, but those same parents are arguing that libraries are a waste of time.
They are not. They are precious centres of learning that need sheltered for our future.
I don't go myself but I agree they should be maintained as a social necessity.
I do have an issue with the giving out CDs and DVDs from the public purse. As for the internet fair enough for some vital social need like checking on he availability of services or benefits - Facebook and Fortean Times don't fall into this and I can see the benefit of blocking them so the terminals aren't being hogged by people who are ironically using them to bemoan the very service they are using.
Quote from: The Doctor Alt 8 on 04 January, 2013, 05:15:46 PM
Honestly they are like monkey with bleeding hammers round here.
:lol:
Our libraries are great for comics. I've read hundreds of trades and GNs I'd never have paid for (I have 11 to take back tomorrow actually)
I'm not sure I have the superior powers of perspective and discrimination required to distinguish between the merits of Facebook, X-Men: Messiah Complex, Barbara Taylor Bradford audiobooks, Homeopathy at Home, and The Irish Catholic newspaper, but my local library provides them all, for better or worse.
One might even venture to suggest that the reason for this is that somebody actually wants access to all of the above, and providing access to media and the information or entertainment they contain is part of what the library system exists to facilitate. I would be very irritated to learn that the Council was instead spending 'taxpayers' money' pontificating on which media and specific books were worthy of inclusions in the canon of 'worthy of funding', thereby restricting collections to Shakespeare, algebra, DIY, hygiene and raising chickens, such topics as the masses might truly be improved by.
Perhaps there is a misunderstanding here of what role libraries actually play these days - it's certainly one I used to share. Since leaving school I didn't really venture into my local library until my income was severely reduced a few years ago, preferring to commute to the National Library and using paid-access collections for research, and to buy books, games and DVDs for my myself and my kids. Now it is pretty much our sole source of books, games and other media. Obviously I could steal all these from teh torrentz, but well, fuck that.
I have at times in the recent past made use of its internet access when I had none of my own, for both work and entertainment, at one point even running my doomed business out of it. Being unable to afford paid playschool, and unwilling to engage with the religiously provided variety, I have also brought my daughter to the library's play mornings and storytime so she can get a bit of group socialisation. I've attended movie nights, puppet shows, employment seminars, local history lectures and Halloween parties. Our library is packed to the gills with kids and mature students doing homework every afternoon and evening, or just biding their time in a safe environment until their working parents get home, in addition to a sea of non-nationals and down-at-heel types using the PCs for games or social networks.
A 'proper' modern library is a free way of accessing community services, a real aspect of which is the internet. Taking away these services leaves you with the question of how they are going to be provided, or effectively taking the decision to exclude those who can't afford to participate from all these aspects of modern life.
Restricted budgets are always a reality, seldom more so than now, but those who perhaps haven't used a public library since they were working their way through Biggles probably shouldn't be the ones deciding what services should or should not be offered today.
I strongly disagree with all censorship, as well you know. I'd have libraries forced to provide uncensored internet access for free to anyone- and if that means someone has to ocassionally clean out the wank-bucket, then so be it. That's why Nobo make office partitions. I'd limit it to an hour though. After all, laptops and tablets are now so cheap and disposable, and free wi-fi so available, all they are really providing is a desk, a chair and a roof.
My library is a beautiful cornucopia of trade paperbacks that i would otherwise be unable to read, and (despite not having paid off my £60 in late fees) I love it beyond words.
SBT
An eloquent riposte Tordel and I certainly won't have the libraries going high brow - I remember devouring Tintin and Lucky Luke books in my yoof. I do think if you want a social hub you shouldn't expect it to be tax payer funded - why slave away in an office to get things like a laptop when you could hang about the library and complain about theirs? Where should the line be drawn? Coffee and biccies? Hookers, like on that Armstrong and Miller sketch?
SBT : I don't equate censorship with not providing certain sites. If a service is to be provided via the public purse it should be bare bolts with extras to be paid for by the individual - a bit like premium channels on TV.
Had to smile at your apparent contradiction - you love your library beyond words but are happy to abuse it by not paying fines. If people paid their fines no doubt they'd have more cash for books and services. Ah well, you always hurt the ones you love!
Quote from: Buttonman on 04 January, 2013, 10:36:50 PMHookers, like on that Armstrong and Miller sketch?
Now you're talking!
Would it annoy you to learn that the community arts centre next door to the library used to offer coffee (and WiFi and power points and seating) on a 'pay what you want' basis, or that the Council offices on the other side have a subsidised canteen? (Doesn't stop the regular cafe across the road being full, mind, although the Starbucks round the corner closed).
I do sympathise with the argument 'why should people get it for free when I have to work for it?', living as I do under a crippling mortgage while many of my neighbours are council tenants or on rent allowance, but the same exact point could be made about council-owned public open space ('why should I have to mow my own grass when 'they' get 'theirs' cut for free'), public transport subsidies, the bloody health service, and pretty much anything which is made available to
everyone in society, irrespective of income. It's not like you
have to be a scrounger to avail of the 'non-essentials' like parks or lifebelts or litter bins, or indeed, books and the internet. But isn't it nice that everyone can?
Ugh, apologies to all (and Watson in particular) for being even more of a belligerent holier-than-thou than usual - I was in a right insomniac grump last night. Obviously the hard-working taxpayer has every right to question the use of their contribution. I just strongly believe that money spent on libraries-as-they-are-today is much like money spent on community sports facilities/programmes for kids - every euro you spend is 2 you save down the road. I blimmin' love libraries.
But that's no reason to be a pontificating dick about it.
There's nothing abusive about not taking books back on time- paying late fees gives the library a valuable source of income, rather than just having this stuff for free! I just havent paid off ALL of my fees, as yet! Ha! I have donated hundreds of pounds to our library over the last few years, because books get temporarily lost in our house... And the only thing ive claimed in return has been a hardback Leviathan, which- ahem- "was damaged beyond repair" by my then infant son.
SBT
Without wanting to get into any kind of political debate here, I feel libraries are one of the cornerstones of our society, for what it's worth. They allow access to information, knowledge, education, training, and just plain entertainment to those members of society who could not otherwise afford it. I make regular use of my library, and my children always love a visit. I see many of the more vulnerable members of society making use of all it's functions - educationally, socially, etc etc.
Had it not been for libraries there would be no way I could have read even half the graphic novels I have. Also, while I was without Internet at home, the library provided an incredibly valuable resource, even if it was for two hours at a time.
While I appreciate funds need to be diverted to such important things as road and rail infrastructure, health and education, allowing libraries to go into decline is a crime of the highest order.
So in answer to the question at the start of the thread, don't ask what your library can do for you, ask what you can do for your library. Step up and volunteer - there must be some way of getting involved. Ask at the desk - I'm sure they'll have some answers for you.
I look after my mother... which limits everything I am able to do... so I would like to volenteer but... not only do I not have that much free time on my hands.... not only do I not have my own health issues... but if the libarary staff do not know what they are doing how can they effectifly train a volenteer.?
DVD's and CD's are not FREE ... at least not in our libarary. If you want to borrrow a film/ soundtrack ... you have a fee to pay. It's less than a video store but it isn't free.
The computers were half paid for by a huge lottery grant. The reason why they were given this grant was to enable effective social communication free of charge. If the ban had been perminant and not just a silly error on the the staffs part they would have been in breach of the contract they signed when they accepted the mmoney. I dout wether the lottery commission (For all it's faults) would be too impressed at the state these machines have been allowed to get into.
I blame the public using them!
Yep... sometimes the smell comming from some of the other patrons.... well it's vile... And I am not joking. Even Dirty Frank would be running away..
Quote from: The Doctor Alt 8 on 05 January, 2013, 04:13:42 PM
Yep... sometimes the smell comming from some of the other patrons.... well it's vile... And I am not joking. Even Dirty Frank would be running away..
Yes, this is one of the drawbacks of libraries (and comics shops) everywhere. That and the yap-yap-yap, slurp-slurp-munch and beep-tap-beep-bring-bring-dum-da-da-dum that is the persistent audio spoor of today's youth.
Quote from: COMMANDO FORCES on 02 January, 2013, 09:08:25 PM
As for the speed of the internet in the library, I think it should be the bare minimum. Why should people on benefits be on a slower speed just because they can't afford 50mb along with their Sky Sports and Movie package :lol:
Even if you could afford it you would be Very Very Very (etc...) lucky to get 20mb with sky let alone 50mb.
V
You know I'm on about Virgin you cheeky scamp vzzbux (who I'm with, in case anyone would like to know). Sky is the domain of the Great Satan Murdoch and his evil lackey's :D