Limit Internet?

[Carlton Martz <cmartz@EEE.ORG>]

My school is a year or two away from being networked.  Currently a T1 is
connected to the technology building where 5 MAC and PC computer labs have
access to the Internet.  Students go there with classes and may use the
labs at lunch and after school.  When the school is wired, Internet will be
delivered to each classroom.  Right now, I have one Internet station in the
library.  Up to now I have felt envious of those school libraries that have
most or all of their computer stations capable of accessing the Internet.
But, I have come to realize that having only one Internet station is not so
bad.  Although the first place students tend to go to look up anything is
the Internet, my one station forces them to consider also using the library
catalog and stand-alone SIRS, EBSCO, Newsbank, and New York Times Current
Events stations.  This situation has gotten me to think about changing my
online strategy when the library along with the rest of the school is
completely networked.
      What I am now considering when networking is completed is to limit
raw Internet access in the library to maybe two stations and then on the
rest of the stations subscribe to an online encyclopedia like Americana or
Britannica which provides links to the Internet.  Other online information
systems are also going this route of linking their material with Internet
sources.  What appeals to me is that I will feel a lot more confident about
the quality of the sites linked by these online encyclopedias etc. than
sites randomly hit by students using search engines.  Also, since Internet
with all its reliability flaws is still the information source of choice
for most students now, does it make sense to make it universally available
on all networked library computers?  If so, who will use SIRS, Newsbank and
all the other sources that provide information that is well documented and
subject to editorial and journalistic standards.
     Everything we now use in our libraries is subject to selection
criteria except the Internet (unless students are allowed access only to
pre-determined sites).  Is the strategy outlined above a viable one for us?

Carl Martz
Librarian, Yucaipa High School
Yucaipa, CA
cmartz@eee.org

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