[WEB4LIB] Re: ALA on Children's Internet Access

[Shane Cathcart]

Andrew,
An interesting solution, but aside from the philosophical arguments of whether
to filter or not to filter, there would seem to be the very practical problem
that filtering is simply not 100% effective. So, if you filter the internet
access in your Library and a child does access something "objectionable", are
you liable having implied to the parents that their child is "safe" from such
exposure because you filter? Do you have a backup disclaimer?
Shane Cathcart

Andrew Mutch wrote:

> Robert,
>
> I'll let the ALA people clarify their position and I won't advocate for the
> use of filters in libraries -- even for children -- but one scenario that
> you might see that would reconcile these two positions is that a library
> might offer some Internet terminals that are "filtered" with others that
> are unfiltered, without forcing patrons of any age to use a particular
> version.
>
> My local "home" library (Novi, MI) addressed concerns raised by a few
> parents by doing exactly this -- they set-up Internet terminals designed
> for kids that aren't using filtering software but do point to search
> engines that run filtered searches and highlight sites preselected by the
> librarians intended to guide young patrons to quality sites.  However, they
> also continue to provide unfiltered Internet access to persons of all ages
> so younger patrons are not "forced" to use "filtered" access.  This scheme
> allows parents who have concerns to direct their children to the "filtered"
> stations while parents who want their children to have full access can send
> their kids to the full access workstations.  No restrictive policy -- no
> librarians as Internet police -- and no denial of access -- a pretty good
> solution and one that the parents who had filed the initial complaints now
> praise as a good solution.
>
> Andrew Mutch
> Library Systems Technician
> Waterford Township Public Library
> Waterford, MI
>
> "Robert J. Tiess" wrote:
>
> > For whatever reason (but certainly not for lack
> > of coffee <g>) I was having a bit of trouble
> > this morning reconciling the following story
> >
> >   ALA President Holds Discussions with Filtering Software Manufacturers
> >   http://www.ala.org/alonline/news/1999/990315.html
> >
> > with what I thought was the official ALA position:
> >
> >   Free Access to Libraries for Minors
> >   http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oif/free_min.html
> >
> > which says, among other things
> >
> >   "Librarians and governing bodies should maintain
> >   that parents - and only parents - have the right
> >   and the responsibility to restrict the access
> >   of their children - and only their children - to
> >   library resources." - ALA
> >
> > as well as Paragraph V of the ALA Library Bill
> > of Rights, which states
> >
> >   "A person's right to use a library should not be
> >   denied or abridged because of origin, age,
> >   background, or views."
> >   http://www.ala.org/work/freedom/lbr.html
> >
> > The news story (posted via an ALA publication,
> > btw) concludes on a most intersting suggestion:
> >
> >   "The meeting was the clearest indication to
> >   date that Association leaders think some forms
> >   of filtering children’s Internet access can
> >   be implemented...." - American Libraries,
> >   "News briefs for March 15, 1999"
> >
> > Somewhat confusing, to this reader.
> >
> > [A side note:  This post is tranmitted simply in
> > hopes of clarifying the "official position," not
> > to reinstate any particular debates on the issue
> > at hand.  Thank you.]
> >
> > R. Tiess
> >
> > rjtiess at warwick.net
> > http://members.tripod.com/~rtiess


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