Library Accused of Political Favors
Central Planning Comes to Local Library
The town of Arcdale, Missouri, just on the outskirts of Kansas City, has made waves again this week after two residents complained adamantly about conditions at the town’s main library.
Darrell Derekson, a long time resident and businessman first noticed the changes last year, but brushed it off as “no big deal”. “Ya, man, I mean, last year all of a sudden I come to get a book, and I can’t get on the computer to find the call number without some password.”
Mr. Derekson is correct. Due to only partially monitored use of library computers, users could look up as many books as they wanted at a time, and even use the internet. So, to make sure that everyone had equal use of the library’s resources, the town instituted a system where users must sign up at a specified desk and provide their library card and fill out a short application, to then be assigned to a computer and an allotment of time on said computer.
This is where, Mr. Derekson says, the issues began. According to the library’s rules, citizens can only be allotted a half hour per computer per application. After noticing another computer user at their station for what seemed like much longer than 30 minutes, Mr. Derekson began to suspect what was going on. The library’s circulation desk was routinely bypassing time check requirements for users who either worked for the city, or had a purple library card, denoting their gift of $100 to the new children’s library.
The library declined to comment, but did release a statement which included the following:
Arcdale Public Library strives to provide a clean safe environment for
all of our patrons to enjoy equal time using library resources. In no way
is the library involved in any impropriety or favorable treatment to any
of our citizens.
Arcdale City Councilman Dale Wentworth, who voted in favor of the changes, backs the library fully. “We feel it is in the town’s best interest for the library’s circulation desk worker to be in charge of managing computer usage. Who would know better what books a person is looking for and the time it takes to find them than a trained circulation desk worker?”
Administering what’s going from one location, he mentions, “…will save time and money, and anyone against time and money is probably a communist anyway, and we don’t necessarily want them around our children and in our library.”
As far as the alleged favors for the library’s friends, Mr. Wentworth assures us this is not possible. Mr. Derekson continues to believe otherwise, and says he will remain vigilant, and report back to PedanticPolitics with any updates. Stay tuned, just don’t do it while logged onto a computer at the Arcdale Public Library.
Central Planning Comes to Local Library
The town of Arcdale, Missouri, just on the outskirts of Kansas City, has made waves again this week after two residents complained adamantly about conditions at the town’s main library.
Darrell Derekson, a long time resident and businessman first noticed the changes last year, but brushed it off as “no big deal”. “Ya, man, I mean, last year all of a sudden I come to get a book, and I can’t get on the computer to find the call number without some password.”
Mr. Derekson is correct. Due to only partially monitored use of library computers, users could look up as many books as they wanted at a time, and even use the internet. So, to make sure that everyone had equal use of the library’s resources, the town instituted a system where users must sign up at a specified desk and provide their library card and fill out a short application, to then be assigned to a computer and an allotment of time on said computer.
This is where, Mr. Derekson says, the issues began. According to the library’s rules, citizens can only be allotted a half hour per computer per application. After noticing another computer user at their station for what seemed like much longer than 30 minutes, Mr. Derekson began to suspect what was going on. The library’s circulation desk was routinely bypassing time check requirements for users who either worked for the city, or had a purple library card, denoting their gift of $100 to the new children’s library.
The library declined to comment, but did release a statement which included the following:
Arcdale Public Library strives to provide a clean safe environment for
all of our patrons to enjoy equal time using library resources. In no way
is the library involved in any impropriety or favorable treatment to any
of our citizens.
Arcdale City Councilman Dale Wentworth, who voted in favor of the changes, backs the library fully. “We feel it is in the town’s best interest for the library’s circulation desk worker to be in charge of managing computer usage. Who would know better what books a person is looking for and the time it takes to find them than a trained circulation desk worker?”
Administering what’s going from one location, he mentions, “…will save time and money, and anyone against time and money is probably a communist anyway, and we don’t necessarily want them around our children and in our library.”
As far as the alleged favors for the library’s friends, Mr. Wentworth assures us this is not possible. Mr. Derekson continues to believe otherwise, and says he will remain vigilant, and report back to PedanticPolitics with any updates. Stay tuned, just don’t do it while logged onto a computer at the Arcdale Public Library.
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