[WEB4LIB] Filtering activist claims libraries ignoring FOI requests

[Dan Lester]

At 09:09 PM 4/6/99 -0700, Filtering Facts wrote:
>Filtering Facts founder David Burt says his effort to discover problems
>public libraries face with patrons who access online pornography has been
>stifled by refusals to comply with his freedom-of-information requests.

This might be more interesting or compelling if there were info on just 
WHAT was being requested.  Are they requesting circulation records, 
anecdotal evidence, official complaint forms, or something else?

>According to Burt's report, "Dangerous Access: The Epidemic of Pornography
>in America's Public Libraries and the Threat to Children," 293 libraries 
>ignored
>his request.

Anyone who does a survey and gets over fifty percent response should be 
stunned and amazed at the results.  This should be particularly the case 
for a survey apparently being conducted by a group with an ax to grind.

>Another 15 libraries sent letters refusing to
>comply. As for the libraries that did comply, 216 reported no incidents and
>the remaining 89 reported a combined 450 incidents.

It would also be more interesting if we knew WHAT the incidents 
were?  Would an "incident" in our library last week count?   A young lady 
complained that a man was printing porn.  She didn't care, except that she 
saw it when she got her output from the printer.  She asked him to pick his 
up immediately so she didn't have to see it.  He ignored her, more or 
less.  I simply suggested to him that I hoped, for his sake, that she 
wouldn't file a sexual harassment complaint.  He chose to cease and leave.

So, if we were a public library (and being spring break, it happened that 
neither were university affiliated people), would that count?  Reporting on 
something without giving more than silly little sound bites makes the 
reporting agency look as bad as half the bozos in Washington.

>Nearly all of the 15 public libraries that refused Burt's request cited
>state law protecting library-patron confidentiality.

Well, if he asked for patron records he sure wouldn't get any in over forty 
states.

>Burt has enlisted legal assistance from the American Family Association to
>force the libraries to disclose the information he seeks.
Hey, I'd welcome them taking on the AG of Idaho on  that issue.  No court 
order, no records produced.  Period.   Same as most states.

>Michael J. DePrimo, an AFA staff attorney, sent letters on March 23 to three
>of the 15 libraries that had refused Burt's request in writing - the Denver
>Public Library, the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library and the St.
>Louis Public Library.

Well, I KNOW Colo has comparable library privacy law.  Dealt with it when 
worked there.

cheers

dan

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Dan Lester, 3577 East Pecan, Boise, ID 83716 USA 208-383-0165
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