P2P in Public Libraries??? May 9, 2007
Posted by trutechie in Uncategorized.trackback
Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen quite a few posts on listservs and forums inquiring about the pros and cons of allowing music and video downloads in public libraries. While there are certainly pros (increased usage, etc.), it would seem to me that they are far outweighed by the downsides.
Even though there may be a rise in library patrons, they won’t be there for the books. You’ll most likely find a backup of people waiting for computers (if there wasn’t already one) and a huge demand for bandwidth. This, in turn, might not only affect download speeds, but more importantly the Web surfing of those people doing research — that is if they could ever find a computer to use.
Another issue would be the potential that patrons will download copyrighted material or even viruses. Although there are plenty of positive and legal uses for P2P, it’s a given that patrons will look for free music or movies. This creates a completely different problem that could ultimately prove costly to the library.
I’m not saying that allowing music and movie downloads should never be allowed, but it can’t be done without certain expectations. It’s possible to prepare for the negative and thus prevent most major harmful consequences.
In my opinion, if music and movie downloads are going to be allowed, they should be done through a reputable Web site only (iTunes, etc.). This will hopefully prevent illegal downloads and probably reduce the amount of people who will be flocking to the computers. A second tip would be to allow these downloads on a certain number of computers. Just as some work stations can only connect to the card catalogue, a limited number should be set aside for downloads. Thirdly, some sort of regulation of bandwidth might be needed to make sure that downloads don’t interrupt the activities of those patrons using the Web for other purposes. Priority should be given to research and even just casual browsing. There are plenty of people that don’t have access to the Internet, and libraries should be a place where they can make that connection–at least for a few minutes.
So, while there will ceratinly be an upside, the downside can be much more troubling if a library is not prepared. The question is whether it’s worth it to make the preparations.
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