diff --git a/docs/manual/CoreTasks/libraries.html b/docs/manual/CoreTasks/libraries.html
index 2f2f669d9..7c3e1baf8 100644
--- a/docs/manual/CoreTasks/libraries.html
+++ b/docs/manual/CoreTasks/libraries.html
@@ -57,6 +57,13 @@
     </td>
     <td valign="top" align="center">No -default false</td>
   </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td valign="top">usetimestamp</td>
+    <td valign="top">flag to indicate that timestamps should
+    be compared when probing for updates.
+    </td>
+    <td valign="top" align="center">No -default false</td>
+  </tr>
   <tr>
     <td valign="top">pathID</td>
     <td valign="top">Name of a path to create containing all
@@ -261,7 +268,8 @@ the build will halt.</P>
 <h4>timestamp</h4>
 
 <P>This policy tells Ant to check the repository to see if the files have changed
-using timestamp checks. Any files which are up to date will not be downloaded again. </P>
+using timestamp checks. Any files which are up to date will not be downloaded again.
+It is equivalent to setting the <code>useTimestamp</code> flag. </P>
 
 <p>Example:</p>
 <pre>
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/repository/ForceUpdatePolicy.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/repository/ForceUpdatePolicy.java
index b5c19096d..029cf4876 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/repository/ForceUpdatePolicy.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/repository/ForceUpdatePolicy.java
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ public class ForceUpdatePolicy extends BaseLibraryPolicy {
      */
     public boolean beforeConnect(Libraries owner, ListIterator libraries) {
         owner.markAllLibrariesForFetch(true);
-        owner._setUseTimestamp(false);
+        owner.setUseTimestamp(false);
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/repository/Libraries.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/repository/Libraries.java
index 706f2953a..7059b0df6 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/repository/Libraries.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/repository/Libraries.java
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ public final class Libraries extends Task {
      * set the timestamp flag. Not for export into XML
      * @param useTimestamp
      */
-    public void _setUseTimestamp(boolean useTimestamp) {
+    public void setUseTimestamp(boolean useTimestamp) {
         this.useTimestamp = useTimestamp;
     }
 
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ public final class Libraries extends Task {
                         //record the fact in the library
                         log("success; marking as fetched",
                                 Project.MSG_DEBUG);
-                        library._setFetched(fetched);
+                        library.assignFetched(fetched);
                     } catch (IOException e) {
                         log(ERROR_LIBRARY_FETCH_FAILED + library);
                         log(e.getMessage());
@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@ public final class Libraries extends Task {
         Iterator it = libraryIterator();
         while (it.hasNext()) {
             Library library = (Library) it.next();
-            library._setToFetch(fetch);
+            library.assignToFetch(fetch);
         }
     }
 
@@ -553,7 +553,7 @@ public final class Libraries extends Task {
         Iterator it = libraryIterator();
         while (it.hasNext()) {
             Library library = (Library) it.next();
-            library._setToFetch(!library.exists());
+            library.assignToFetch(!library.exists());
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/repository/Library.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/repository/Library.java
index b634f5220..6ddc2c126 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/repository/Library.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/repository/Library.java
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ public class Library implements EnabledLibraryElement {
      * set the library file. Hidden from Ant users.
      * @param file
      */
-    public void _setLibraryFile(File file) {
+    public void assignLibraryFile(File file) {
         this.libraryFile = file;
     }
 
@@ -330,10 +330,10 @@ public class Library implements EnabledLibraryElement {
     /**
      * prefixed to avoid ant picking up on it, this sets
      * the fetch/no-fetch flag.
-     * @param toFetch
+     * @param toFetchFlag
      */
-    public void _setToFetch(boolean toFetch) {
-        this.toFetch = toFetch;
+    public void assignToFetch(boolean toFetchFlag) {
+        this.toFetch = toFetchFlag;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -355,10 +355,10 @@ public class Library implements EnabledLibraryElement {
     /**
      * another not-for-end-users attribute; a flag set to true if the
      * library has been fetched.
-     * @param fetched
+     * @param fetchflag
      */
-    public void _setFetched(boolean fetched) {
-        this.fetched = fetched;
+    public void assignFetched(boolean fetchflag) {
+        this.fetched = fetchflag;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/repository/TimestampPolicy.java b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/repository/TimestampPolicy.java
index d87467822..e59668037 100644
--- a/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/repository/TimestampPolicy.java
+++ b/src/main/org/apache/tools/ant/taskdefs/repository/TimestampPolicy.java
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ public class TimestampPolicy extends BaseLibraryPolicy {
      */
     public boolean beforeConnect(Libraries owner, ListIterator libraries) {
         owner.markAllLibrariesForFetch(true);
-        owner._setUseTimestamp(true);
+        owner.setUseTimestamp(true);
         return true;
     }