filtering vs. public relations

[Millard Johnson]

Paul Neff proposes:

A solution I haven't heard proposed in this thread:  when the question of
filtering comes up in your community, work with your library's Internet
users (and potential Internet users) to determine what, if any, Internet
resources are unacceptable to all. 

Maybe not.  A very good article in the Chronicle of Higher Education
recently made the case that the idea that most problems are problems of
miscommunication, is overstated.  When a problem is really a problem, a
disagreement - not a miscommunication -- more communication only 
aggravates the problem.

If we invite the public into the library we can only make things better if we
can make one of these cases:
1.  There is no pornography on the net
2.  Kids can not get to it
3.  It is not bad for kids
4.  Although it may be bad, it would be worse to eliminate it

The public will certainly want us to show them what there is out there and
how easy it is to get to.  Then they will want to see our collection development 
policy.  Was the intention of the policy to include pornography?  Does the
librarian actually want pornography in the library, or is it just too much work to
keep it out?  In this case, I think the best path for librarians who want to 
defend access to pornography in the library is to hope that those who do not 
want their kids to see  pornography will not find out the opportunity afforded 
by the library.

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