[WEB4LIB] ALA on Children's Internet Access

[Andrew Mutch]

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