15/06/01 (Apologies for Cross-posting)
Many thanks to all Lis-linkers who replied to my query about mobile phones in the Library and problems arising. I had 16 replies.
Some people let me know about past discussions on the Lis-Link archive or passed on other links to check. I have listed these at the end of this posting.
Other than that- many have already looked into the issue of scrambling/ jamming devices. This is definitely illegal in the UK under the 1949 Telecommunications Act.
One colleague emailed-
"You could find yourself being sued perhaps if a user discovered the reason they couldn't make/receive a vital call in an emergency was due to jamming"
As I mentioned, it is permissable in some countries, and in one Asian country you can buy, from gadget shops, a small, hand-held pointable device which stops the phone in its tracks. Roughly translated, it is called 'Shut up Mobile Phone'! I don't have the details, unfortunately.
Very interesting implications! (May be useful for the lis-linker who emailed wanting details so they could use it in any Train carriage.)
On a realistic level, most people are back to the usual sanctions-
- notices/ signs
- warnings/ 'nagging'
- removal of Students from the Library / one institution said they use security staff.
- reporting to tutors/ departments
- peer pressure/ enlisting the help of the student union.
- ID card asked for and a note made of the breach.
- banning for persistent offenders and computer rights suspended
- in one institution, lecturers confiscate the phone if it rings (I think we might be on dodgy ground here).
Some people said they have reached the stage of ignoring silent text-messaging.
This can be a problem, however, when students are clogging up the computers because they are using the free texting services online.
Lastly, there was a useful reply regarding our motivation for objecting to phones- is it really such a problem, or is it something we could 'let go'?
I think that this depends upon the size, policy and user expectation of your service- banning phones may indeed not be practical if your area is large and already subject to other unavoidable noise such as computers, lifts, security systems etc. Consultation with Students on this specific point will be useful for us.
The technology is here to stay- let's hope it develops intelligently so that we can move on and lose these problems- fancy writing a letter to Nokia, anyone?
Links;
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/lis-link.html
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/wa.exe?S1=lis-link
http://www.radio.gov.yk/topics/pmc/document/info-on/cellular.htm
Thanks again,
Jane Spellman
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Jane Spellman - Librarian
Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College
Darlington
Email [log in to unmask]
Tel 01325 461315
Fax 01325 361705
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