Unlike the Baltimore County Library, which spun off it's Dial-Up Internet business into an entity that competes with commercial vendors, The Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore is going out of the business.

The text below is from a letter sent to existing Pratt Dial-Up customers:

To: Current Dial-Up Customer at Pratt Library

Dear Pratt Account Holder,

The Enoch Pratt Free Library discontinued offering Internet/Email accounts to the public for sale after June 30, 1997.

Your account is currently either in expired status at this time, or will expire between now and December 31, 1997. We are writing to you to let you know that the Pratt intends to maintain your account as active until January 1, 1998, even if it is currently in expired status, or is scheduled to expire before the June 30 cutoff for purchasing accounts from the Library.

Although your account will remain active for the remainder of calendar year 1997, we request you begin making plans now to find a replacement service provider. Effective January 1, 1998 the Pratt will delete all accounts, and associated files, that were due to expire in 1997.

The termination of the Pratt Internet/E-mail Accounts program is prompted by the May 8, 1997, FCC Rulemaking on the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The Rulemaking provides for public libraries to be eligible for substantial Universal Service Fund Discounts for telecommunications service and equipment. This provision was made out of recognition that it is important that the public have access to advanced information technologies through their libraries. As it would be unfair to unsubsidized commercial providers that libraries be permitted to re-sell their discounted services, the guidelines for eligibility for USF Discounts disallow the sale of such services as e-mail accounts by public libraries.

Thank you for having permitted the Enoch Pratt Free Library to serve you as your e-mail and Internet access provider.