Discussion of the right of the U.S. public to know highlights the importance of libraries and librarians in a democracy; the role of libraries in disseminating and providing open and equitable access to information; and obstacles they currently face that are putting both libraries and public's right to know at risk. (MAB)

This article discusses similarities between the local bulletin board system (BBS) and the public library. Highlights include components of the small BBS (system operator, host computer, "messaging" software, auto-answer device, connection to one or more phone lines); uploading and downloading; notes from the board; and the role of the…