Boston situation -Reply -Reply

[Judith Falzon]

>      The city - or some government agency - is paying for the library.  The 
>      building, the computers, the electricity - you name it.  

       I don't think "the city" is paying for the library. Taxpayers are.
       And while the mayor may be the top administrator of city 
       departments, I am disappointed that he stepped in without
       consultation from library administration and without, I
       believe, due consideration of the implications of his
       actions.

       I definitely see First Amendment issues all over this--
       who decides what is acceptable to view by whom and when?
       Filters are installed on terminals and cannot determine
       who is using them (or how old that person is). Who will
       guard the adult terminals? Who will keep a 7 yr
       old off the young adult terminals? What a nightmare!

       I am terribly troubled that the secret proprietary
       list of blocked sites is accepted without question
       as proper and useful by the mayor. 

       What's going to happen when kids pull up objectionable
       sites anyway? The mayor has accepted some responsibility\
       for "protecting" children--so when it doen't work, it
       seems to me the city must share liability--after all,
       the mayor said he was going to get rid of pornography
       access for children.

       Judy Falzon
       Technology Coordinator
       Sandusky Library
       Sandusky, OH


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