Regulating internet access in UK public libraries: legal compliance and ethical dilemmas

Adrienne Muir, Rachel Spacey, Louise Cooke, Claire Creaser
2016 Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society  
If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.com Emerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books
more » ... and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services. Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. Abstract Purpose -This paper aims to consider selected results from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)-funded "Managing Access to the internet in Public Libraries" (MAIPLE) project, from 2012-2014. MAIPLE has explored the ways in which public library services manage use of the internet connections that they provide for the public. This included the how public library services balance their legal obligations and the needs of their communities in a public space and the ethical dilemmas that arise. Design/methodology/approach -The researchers used a mixed-method approach involving a review of the literature, legal analysis, a questionnaire survey and case studies in five public library authorities.
doi:10.1108/jices-02-2015-0005 fatcat:uig2l7wo5faytkmv5zh34u7pc4