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Boulder City Magazine® October 2006 Issue
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Library Corner
by Duncan R. McCoy, Director
Boulder City Library
Library Computers
I’d like to talk about computers this month. The Library provides computers for public internet access, word-processing, spreadsheets, database access, and other common applications. Public computers are networked to a laser printer and patrons receive their first 10 prints free, after 10, the Library charges $.10 per page. |
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We see local folks who don’t own computers, people whose computers at home have malfunctioned, students doing reports, and travelers from around the country and around the world.
The new library building opened for business on March 18, 2002 with a cluster of internet computers networked to a T-1 line for broadband access. In the old building (now the Senior Center), we had only one public internet computer with dial-up internet access. It didn’t work very well.
The Library now has eight public internet computers which are in more or less continual use. Last year, the Library did over 16,000 computer signups!
Unfiltered computers are provided for adults and filtered computers are available for users under age 18. For the young folks, parents can allow their kids unrestricted internet access by coming in and completing a parental consent form. If the parental consent form is completed, young people can access the internet without the website filtering.
The Library observes the provisions of Nevada’s “Harmful to Minors Statute” (NRS 201.256, et seq.) and does not allow viewing of pornographic material on library computers, either by children or adults.
As computer use patterns began to develop in the new Library, with the new computer setup, I noticed that we were seeing a lot of visitors coming in to use computers. I was lucky enough to have a couple of free afternoons several weeks ago and took the time to look at computer signup sheets that hadn’t been shredded yet. From February through August this year, of the 9,961 signups 1,447 were folks from outside our community – 14.53%! 47 states and 20 foreign countries were represented with the largest participation from the states of New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and California (in that order). Internationally, Poland wins (!), followed by Canada, England, and Germany.
I’ve been a library director for a long time and never would have thought that a public library in a small town would ever see so many visitors from across the country and around the world! We even had a visitor in from Tonga (in Africa).
Contact the Boulder City Library at www.bclibrary.org |
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