This is the main library, they have recently upgraded the computer system here. My complaint is in 2 parts both about having to 'register' to use the computers.
1) The old system to use the computers was 'low tech', it involved color coded & numbered cards, if the cards were in the holders at the reference section then a computer was available and you signed out on a sheet for that computer and used it. If no cards were in the holders then you signed a sheet and waited until a computer was available. Very low tech, it required pencil and paper. Cost per year = about zip.
A month ago the computer set up changed with new hardware. Now you need are confronted with a machine that reads your library card number, you select whether you want 30 or 60 min (different computer areas) and it gives you a reservation number for a certain computer and a pin number. The 'reservation' may be for right then or for some time in the future.
Today I selected the 60 min computer option in the 'Lab', I could see that 2 of the about 14 stations were empty. I got a reservation for 10 min. On a computer already being used. Meanwhile 2 computers sit idle.
I complained about this nonsense and got only boiler plate. This 'new - upgraded' system costing probably thousands of tax dollars only keeps people waiting. Why do I, or any library patron have to stand around for 10 minutes, or an hour etc., waiting for our 'reservation' to come up when computers are available for immediate use? I left after telling the desk people what I thought of this new system. Presumably my 60 minute reservation, which I did not show up for, kept one computer idle for 60 minutes for absolutely no purpose.
People make reservations and get annoyed, like I did and leave, or they reserve and get busy elsewhere doing things or they use 20 minutes of 60 and leave and these computers sit idle while the timers run down and other people stand around who want to use the computers!
This is absolutely FOOLISH and I complained about it in writing in the suggestion box right after they were installed. Nothing has happened.
It is a major waste of patrons time and a boondoggle for taxpayers who had to fund this stupid system. The old pencil and paper system worked find. It wasn't fancy but you got to the computers if one was available. Today was my 4th complaint about this, 2 in writing.
2nd Issue
As you saw from above, previously you did not need to provide any card or log in to use the computers. Now you do.
I object to having my library card scanned to 'register' for computer usage on a certain machine. I see absolutely no valid reason for the library to require this step. Why should anyone need to provide their ID (ie: library card number, which leads to your name/address etc) for computer usage? To check out books, sure, I absolutely understand that.
But why is the library sticking their nose into who is using which computer and probably more importantly: what usage is made of this information? What if I (or you or anyone), emailed my Congressman, Senator or the President and told him/her in blunt terms that he/she was a moron and should not be in office. Will the black helicopters decend on the Bay County Regional Library with Homeland Security asking who used computer 12 at 10 A.M. On Jan 19th?
I asked about this at the desk two weeks ago and was told that the information would only be given out if a subpeona was used. More nonsense from this library! They should NOT be retaining this information to start with. With this system in place 'someone' (ie: obviously the Govt) can see who used what computer, when and then find what sites were accessed and who knows, maybe even pull up emails that were sent.
It is simple if no registration was required then the info would not be recorded and no one with or without a subpeona could snoop into patrons computer usage.
SUMMARY:
This new registration system is"
1) Unduly cumbersome - not user friendly,
2) Replaced a system that worked just fine,
3) Cost a Hell of a lot more than the pencils and paper it replaced,
4) Actually restricts patrons from using computers with this registration requirement when computers are actually available,
5) Apparantly records patrons actual use of computers for no valid purpose,
6) Is probably storing usage/patron information which may be vunerable to government snooping
For all the above reasons this 'new' system should be removed, shut down, scrapped, done away with, etc.
It was a dumb idea, it isn't working, it is vunerable to abuse of the stored data and it needs to be changed.
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