"Safe Surfing Guidelines from ALA" (Edupage, 20 May 1997)

[Richard J. Violette]

Dear WEB4LIBns,

I thought the following was very interesting.  Does anybody have any
thoughts?  Further information?

/s/ Rich.V.

************************************************************
Edupage, 20 May 1997.  Edupage, a summary of news about information
technology, is provided three times a week as a service by Educom, a
Washington, D.C.-based consortium of leading colleges and universities
seeking to transform education through the use of information
technology.
************************************************************

TOP STORIES
        Ellison Sees Himself As An Enlightened Egotist
   ô¿ô  Safe Surfing Guidelines From ALA
        E-Rate Approved By FCC
        Dr. Know 

8<---!SNIP!---

SAFE SURFING GUIDELINES FROM ALA
The American Library Association has drafted a set of guidelines for
librarians, suggesting ways to assist patrons in using online searches
without incurring liability for ones that turn up potentially offensive
or "indecent" material.  The guidelines offer "some easy things that a
library can do at this point rather than trying to block access to the
Internet or put up filters or do something that is so restrictive to
their patrons' access to the Internet," says the assistant director of
the ALA's Office for
Intellectual Freedom.  The recommendations include:  educating staff,
library board, governing bodies, community leaders, parents, children,
etc. about the Internet and what it offers; establishing and
implementing written policies on Internet use; reminding parents that
they are responsible for their children's Internet use; creating and
promoting Web pages with recommended sites for parents and children; and
placing terminals away from public view so that others are not offended
by any particular user's choice of viewing material.  (Chronicle of
Higher Education 23 May 97)

-- 
Richard J. Violette    | 1200 Court House           | "He chose to be
Catalog Librarian I    | Boston MA 02108            | rich, by making
Social Law Library     | Vox: (617) 523-0018, x318  | his wants few."
rviolett at socialaw.com  | Fax: (617) 523-2458        |       --Emerson