A Newspaper Against Filtering

[Burt, David]

Here's a newspaper that takes quite a different view of library porn
than The Staten Island Advance, though they seem to have swallowed the
"all filtering is done with keyword blocking" canard.


                   Copyright ) 1997 The Seattle Times Company

                   Opinion/Editorials : Saturday, March 29, 1997

                   Editorial: Library patrons are
                   responsible for Internet behavior


                   Librarians have reached a conclusion that may dawn on
the Supreme
                   Court as it weighs the constitutionality of a federal
law to control
                   online cybersex: The Internet is beyond regulation.

                   Computer technology and human nature will conspire to
defeat
                   electronic screens for salacious material. The other
problem is that
                   filters sorting out key words such as "breast" also
delete medical and
                   sex-education material.

                   Librarians are clearly not interested in serving as
the smut police.
                   Instead, they are drafting local Internet-access
policies that require
                   library patrons to accept responsibility for their
own behavior, and ask
                   parents to monitor what their children surf online.

                   Institutions with strong traditions of intellectual
freedom are loath to
                   start drawing lines on what is acceptable Internet
fare. Intentionally
                   placing video screens in public areas, libraries
expect patrons to
                   exercise good judgment and discretion. What an adult
concept.

                   Rules vary by parts of the country, and around
Washington state.
                   Generally, the premise is that libraries are offering
their patrons a
                   privilege that can be withdrawn. In some areas
patrons must register in
                   advance for computer time. That's common in rural
Washington,
                   where there is a long drive to the library and no one
wants to gamble
                   that space will be available.

                   In South Bend, Ind., the display of any sexually
explicit material will
                   get someone tossed out of the library. In
Albuquerque, N.M., a child
                   under age 13 must be accompanied by an adult to go
online.

                   Seattle is looking at a draft policy that would
remove patrons who use
                   Internet access to harass or otherwise interfere with
the rights of other
                   library patrons and staff. The King County library
system is loath to
                   do anything to deny its customers open access to the
Internet.

                   The King County system is, however, looking at
electronic filters on
                   personal computers in the children's libraries.

                   A universal concern is the incidental viewing of
material that others
                   might find objectionable. Some libraries have
experimented with
                   screens that block peripheral views, but they do not
do much for
                   someone walking by. Moving PCs to a remote part of
the library is
                   simply rearranging the furniture for the lowest
common denominator.
                   Most customers want ready, accessible help with
research,
                   word-processing programs and CDs.

                   Some libraries, such as those in Ellensburg and
Kennewick, require
                   Internet orientation sessions. Each library patron is
advised of the
                   general rules of conduct and cautioned about the
consequences of
                   viewing material that might offend others. Such
early, personal contact
                   helps librarians deal with complaints.

                   Spokane requires parents to co-sign a permission slip
for children
                   under age 18 to go online. Library rules do not allow
any Internet
                   material that would not be part of the regular
collection, such as
                   pornography. Complaints are handled by senior library
staff who
                   combine the role of counselor and enforcer.

                   Internet smut is not consuming our libraries.
Grievances and
                   complaints are few, and they get handled under the
rubrics of general
                   conduct, not censorship. All this is new for
everyone, but smart,
                   dedicated people are trying to make it work. Trust
your local librarian.