Pull the plug -- libraries aren't common carriers

[Library Internet Resources Co-ordinator]

At 4:44 PM -0800 3/23/97, S. M. S. wrote:

>What would be your feelings if instead of a top-down approach (taking ALL of
>the Internet and filtering out), librarians could build from the bottom up
>and only give children access to librarian pre-selected sites?  This would
>include eliminating access to the major search-mechanisms.

It seems, as these discussions continue (decay), that there are several
approaches depending on the library.

In some cases access only from links on the pages may help, but how to deal
with links from those links?

People may wish to look at their home pages and see if they can better
emphasise they link pages they have created to encourage use of page the
staff has selected.

Posted terminal use policies may be needed to protect libraries from
accusations of not caring what children see.

Of course no matter what we do there will always be objections to our
providing access to certain types of information by someone.

As a religious library we are concerned about pornography being accessed on
our terminals. But at the same time we want people to have access to pages
with information on gay/lesbian, sexual ethics, safe sex, racial issues,
and any other controversial subject our students and other patrons are
likely to be researching.


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Library Internet Resources Co-ordinator webguru at gtu.edu
(currently Gilles Poitras)
Graduate Theological Union Library
2400 Ridge Road         Berkeley, California, USA
http://www.gtu.edu/library/
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