[Publib] Librarians required to provide access to porn? wasWIRED...

[James Casey]

Thanks to Karen Schneider for admitting what many of us have known since
1997.  When ALA Council passed a resolution that maintained that "use of
filtering software to block constitutionally protected speech is a
violation of the Library Bill of Rights" on July 2, 1997, mine was the
only dissenting vote.  I agree with Karen that the inflexible position
established by the ALA on filtering opened us up for defeat on CIPA in
late 2000.  Most of the public library community had already come to the
conclusion that local libraries needed to have the flexibility to adopt
policies and procedures in keeping with community standards.  Filtering
of children's internet has seemed to be almost a practical necessity for
many years for schools and public libraries.  

 

The single best argument that has derailed filtering mandates coming
from members of our State Legislature (mostly Republican, but also some
Democrats), has been maintaining that local libraries and their boards
should be free to adopt whatever measures they deem appropriate for the
protection of patrons from porn (etc.) and that State regulation should
not trump local control.  Just as ALA failed when it tried to proscribe
the use of filtering software across the board as a "violation of the
Library Bill of Rights", so too have the censors and religious right
proponents who have insisted upon across the board filtering mandates.  

 

James B. Casey --- My own views

Director of the Oak Lawn Public Library

ALA Council Member (1996-2000, 2001-present)

 

________________________________

From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of K.G. Schneider
Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2006 7:05 AM
To: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: RE: [Publib] Librarians required to provide access to porn?
wasWIRED...

 

 

As for little children and the Internet, I've been yelled at for this
point of view (literally, at ALA meetings), and it has resulted in me
being persona non grata in some circles, but I don't have a problem with
filtering the internet for little kids, and I think ALA's position on
this issue lost CIPA for us. Put "children" and "Internet" in the same
sentence and I'm sorry, game over. 

 

 

Karen G. Schneider

kgs at bluehighways.com 

 

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