www.filteringfacts.org

[Burt, David]

Announcing a new organization and website, Filtering Facts
(www.filteringfacts.org)

Filtering facts is a non-profit organization that promotes the
acceptability of filtering in libraries. Our primary purpose is to
publicize the "other side" of the filtering in libraries debate. To
date, the debate has been dominated by the American Library Association
Office of Intellectual Freedom, the American Civil Liberties Union, and
other organizations which take an extreme stand on free speech. The
result of this one-sided debate has been that much of the media and
public have believed what ALA/OIF's says about filters.

We believe that libraries have the right to offer the kind of Internet
service they want. We do not believe that libraries are obligated to
offer everything on the Internet. We believe in exercising selection of
Internet resources. We believe in exercising our professional judgment
in the use of the Internet.

Filtering Facts began, appropriately enough, on the Internet. Filtering
was attacked by many in our profession. A few librarians spoke up on
library discussion lists in defense of filtering, and we were attacked
too. We were censured by our colleagues and called censors. Our point of
view was excluded at ALA conferences. But we would not remain silent.

We are seeking to organize pro-filtering librarians around the country
to actively counter the efforts of the ALA Office of Intellectual
Freedom. We have begun contacting the media to insure that our point of
view is represented in future news stories about filtering in libraries.
We have begun publishing articles in support of filtering in our
professional literature. We have begun to demand that our voices be
heard at conferences and workshops.

Our Goals

  *   Educate the public and media about Internet software filters.

  *   Encourage libraries to voluntarily adopt filters.

  *   Offer our support to libraries that implement filters.

  *   Persuade the American Library Association to rescind its
"Resolution on the
      use of filtering software in libraries", and adopt a more tolerant
view of filtering .

  *   Persuade the American Library Association to adopt a "hands off"
policy toward
       libraries that filter.


David Burt, President and Founder, Filtering Facts