Public Access Computers

The Library has computers available for public use. Click here to see our Computer and Internet Acceptable Use Policy.

Patrons log into the lab using their library card number.

Patrons may only use their own card to log into the Library’s computers.  Patrons may not log into the Library’s computers using someone else’s card, even if the cardholder has given permission. Giving someone else permission to use your card only applies to checkouts, not to computer use.

A temporary guest pass for use of the Library’s public computers may be generated for out-of-county residents who can provide a valid photo ID with proof of out-of-county residency. Guest passes are only for use with the Library’s Express Terminals. Out-of-county patrons must have a valid Hopkins County – Madisonville Public Library card to use the Adult or Teen computer labs. Patrons who live, work, or own property in Hopkins County will be required to have a valid library card to use the Library’s public computers, including the Adult lab, the Teen lab, and the Express Terminals; no guest passes will be provided to in-county residents. See this page for information about how to obtain a library card as well as out-of-county fees.

The Library’s computer labs shut down automatically 15 minutes prior to closing.


Available computers:

Adult Lab: Our Adult computer lab is available near the front entrance, and is open to patrons age 16 and up.

Teen Lab: Our Teen computer lab is located in the Teen area of the Library. Teen computers are available for patrons between the ages of 9 and 19. Teens are highly encouraged to use the teen computer lab instead of the adult computer lab whenever possible. A teen using the adult lab may be asked to relocate from the adult lab to the teen lab in the event that: (a) the adult lab is full, (b) there are patrons over the age of 19 waiting for an adult computer to become available, (c) there are available computers in the teen lab, and (d) relocating will not cause undue inconvenience.

Express Terminals: Express Terminal computers are available for short-term access. Sessions on express terminals are limited to a maximum of 20 minutes, with no time extensions. The Express Terminals are located adjacent to the Adult Lab.

Children’s computers: AWE educational computers are available in the children’s area by the mural for patrons under the age of 9. These computers do not require a login.


Printing:

Patrons can print from the computer lab for a small fee.

Black & white prints are 25¢ per page for single-sided prints or 30¢ per sheet for double-sided.

Color prints are 50¢ per page for single-sided prints or 60¢ per sheet for double-sided.

The Print Release Station is located behind the Adult Lab, beside Meeting Room B, near the adult non-fiction books. In order to ensure the privacy of each patron’s print job(s), patrons must log into the Print Release Station using the same login credentials they used at the computer they printed from in order to access their personal print queue. Print jobs must be paid for at the Print Release Station before they will print. The Print Release Station coin-op takes nickels, dimes, quarters, and bills. The coin-op dispenses only coins in change, so the Library does not recommend paying for a small print job with a large bill. The Library will not exchange bills for excessive change dispensed from the coin-op.

The Print Release Station will remain open for 10 minutes after the computer labs close. Print jobs will stay in the print queue for 8 hours.

Mobile Printing:

To print from a mobile device click this link and follow the prompts.


Attention:  Due to COVID-19 precautions and the limited number of computers available, patrons’ computer sessions are limited to an initial 1 hour per day.

Time management:

Public computers are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The adult and teen computer labs allow for sessions of up to 1 hour per day. This time allotment will automatically adjust to account for automatic shutdown of the lab if you log into a computer within 1 hour of the Library’s closing time.  If a patron has not used their entire allotted time, the remaining time will freeze upon proper logout and may be used later in the day. For example, if a patron logs into a computer in the morning and logs out after 30 minutes, they will still have 30 minutes remaining if they log back in a few hours later. When the computer lab is not full, computer sessions may be extended in 15-minute increments up to a total of 1 additional hour.

Due to the limitations of the Library computers’ time management system, time extensions can only be given while patrons are logged into a computer. When a patron’s time expires, the computer will automatically log the patron off and they will not be able to log back in that day. For this reason, patrons must request a time extension before their session expires. Any time extensions given beyond a patron’s initial allotted 1 hour will be forfeited upon logout. Time extensions are not permitted on express terminals. Guest passes will NOT be issued as a substitute for an extension in the case of an expired computer session.

Instructions for how to log off of the computers are posted clearly on the desktop of each computer. Patrons must log out using the appropriate “End Session / Log Off” button to log out of the Library’s time management system. Logging out any other way or shutting the computer down during the session will result in the patron’s allotted time continuing to run in the background. Staff will not give a guest pass in place of time that has expired due to improper logout.