Enid library votes to ban use of chat rooms

Tuesday, May 10th 2005, 6:10 am

By: News On 6

ENID, Okla. (AP) The Enid library board voted to ban patrons from using Internet chat rooms beginning July 1, but reversed a previous decision and now will allow patrons continued access to e-mail on library computers.

Police informed officials of the Public Library of Enid and Garfield County in February that sexual predators may have used library computers to set up meetings with underage targets at the library or nearby.

Police have made no arrests in the case but interviewed some possible victims.

The change in e-mail access followed urgings from patrons and employees.

``If you allow these restrictions, you might as well remove 'public' from the name of the library,'' said Charlene Johnson, who said she cannot afford a computer.

Tammy Noland, who homeschools her son, said she uses the library computers to e-mail her father, a retired fifth-grade teacher, and is compiling a keepsake of those e-mails for her son.

Noland said parents _ not librarians _ should be responsible for monitoring what their children are doing on the Internet.

``Where are the parents?'' she asked.

The new policy allows users to access their e-mail but prohibits the use of library computers for chat rooms, gambling, advertising, mass mailing and viewing sexually explicit material.

The library should have software by July 1 that will require a library card to access the Internet.

Under the new system, police armed with court orders will be able to access records. Libraries supported by public funds cannot disclose records of items loaned to or used by individuals without a court order or the person's written permission.

Police asked the library in February to retain computer login sheets for two years and require users to present identification when signing in. The board responded with the policy restricting usage to educational purposes.

The Oklahoma Department of Libraries is waiting on an opinion from the attorney general's office on whether confidentiality statutes regarding items checked out also apply to records of Internet usage.