www.filteringfacts.org

[Bob Razer]

"We have met the enemy and he is us" - Pogo

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 Bob Razer                                                               
 Associate Director		    e-mail: rleslie at fones.cals.lib.ar.us 	
 Central Arkansas Library System    fax:    (501) 375-7451               
 700 Louisiana                      voice:  (501) 370-5954               
 Little Rock, Arkansas 72201                                             
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On Wed, 16 Jul 1997, Burt, David wrote:

> 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
> 
> 
>