Filters/Cybersitter

[David L. King]

> > This isn't like a book burning where the books being burned were the only
> > copies available in the city, county, state, or whatever.  You can go home,
> > use your PC to log onto the internet, and view ANYTHING you want.  And
> > because of this, I do not see how my right to access is being affected!

> You do realize, I hope, that not everyone can AFFORD to have a "PC" at 
> home to "log onto the internet, and view ANYTHING (they) want." Censoring 
> access to legitimate information, which it seems most of the filtering 
> software can not help doing, is in fact censorship. Perhaps your "right 
> to access" is not being affected, but there are others whose only access 
> to the Internet is at their public library. 

Then that should apply to all situations, otherwise who's going to define
"legitimate?" And currently, at least in paper format, that's simply not
happening.

Take this example - yes, it's stretched to the max, but nonetheless...
A patron wants the centerfold for Hustler mag - can they get it? No - the
only place that carries it, according to WorldCat, is the University
College of London, and they don't provide ILL access to it. Sure, they
can go to the newsstand and pay for it, but say they don't have the $3-5 
that it costs... the library isn't providing access to this item at all. 

Is that a "legitimate" request? Interestingly enough, it currently depends
on the format involved. The above request is obviously thought of by most
libraries as not being legitimate (or maybe no one ever requests the
thing - who knows?), since only one library carries the magazine. But if
we're talking about the web version, then yes, it's a very valid request -
we don't want to censor anything...

Why should library philosophy for the online version be any different
than the philosophy for the print version? What makes a library not
want to carry the print version of Hustler, but greet the online version
with open arms? 

Just some thoughts...


		**************************************************
			David King
			Electronic Services Librarian
			University of Southern Mississippi
			dlking at ocean.st.usm.edu
			http://ocean.st.usm.edu/~dlking/
		**************************************************