Online Public Areas

Prepared to: Dr. Augusta Rosario A. Villamater

Prepared by: Angelique L. Guce

BLIS-II

Internet Internet

a computer-based a computer-based worldwide worldwide information network, information network, has had an has had an enormous impact on enormous impact on libraries.libraries.

Librarians use the Internet Librarians use the Internet and its multimedia and its multimedia component, the World Wide component, the World Wide Web, to answer reference Web, to answer reference questions and to provide questions and to provide access to materials not access to materials not previously available to their previously available to their patrons.patrons.

On university campuses, On university campuses, investment in personal investment in personal computers and high-speed computers and high-speed local area networks (LANs) local area networks (LANs) provided students and provided students and faculty with the ability to faculty with the ability to access vast new sources of access vast new sources of information via the Internet.information via the Internet.

Many libraries have Many libraries have attempted to meet attempted to meet that challenge by that challenge by making Internet making Internet access a top priority. access a top priority.

As a result, libraries have As a result, libraries have extended their traditional roles extended their traditional roles of facilitating self-education of facilitating self-education and individual enrichment by and individual enrichment by providing low-cost or free providing low-cost or free computer access to online computer access to online resources such as resources such as government, consumer, government, consumer, medical, and legal information.medical, and legal information.

Public workstations for Public workstations for searching the Internet as searching the Internet as well as the Library's well as the Library's online catalog are online catalog are available in the Library's available in the Library's reading rooms, and in reading rooms, and in the Computer Catalog the Computer Catalog Centers Centers

The Library of Congress The Library of Congress provides access to the provides access to the Internet in these locations Internet in these locations as a resource for Library as a resource for Library researchers, including researchers, including Congress and the public; Congress and the public; the workstations are the workstations are intended for research and intended for research and reference use onlyreference use only. .

In accordance with In accordance with Library of Congress Library of Congress Regulation 1812, Regulation 1812, "Conduct on Library "Conduct on Library Premises," recreational Premises," recreational use of the Library's public use of the Library's public Internet workstations is Internet workstations is prohibited. prohibited.

Before using the Before using the Internet at the Library Internet at the Library of Congress, of Congress, researchers should researchers should consult the Library's consult the Library's conditions for use for conditions for use for its public Internet its public Internet workstations.workstations.