A little background:
The library where I work has 2 branches, one very large and one small. I work at the small. The large branch has roughly 40 computers that it watches over. Some are strictly word processors, some are quick internet (15 minutes or less) but the majority are internet and word processing. They probably have 3-4 staff present at any given time.
My branch has 9 public computers. 1 is a 15 minute PC (in another room) while the other 8 are Word Processing/Internet. At any given time, there is 1 or less people monitoring the computers. The decision-makers...all at the main branch. I don't think they can truely understand what things are like at my branch. A little inside joke we use at the branch is that they are 'Mother Russia' and we are the 'Siberian Goulages'.
The explanation given to me for lifting it was "businessmen/women needing to chat for their work." In the 7 years and 10 months I've worked here, I've NEVER seen a person come in and chat for business. 1 deaf person that chats for tech support, but for that kind of thing I make an exception to the rule. Haven't seen her for quite a while...
Some day, I know it, a kid is going to get into some kind of trouble in a chat room and a hysterical parent is going to blame the library for it. I just hope its not my job on the line when it happens.