Report Uncovers Epidemic of Children Viewing Porn In Libraries

[Filtering Facts]

For Immediate Release
Tuesday, March 2, 1999

Contact: David Burt
David_Burt at filteringfacts.org
503 635-7048

Washington, D.C. -- The problem of children and adults accessing pornography
in public libraries is far worse than organizations such as the American
Library Association have led Americans to believe, a new report shows.

Filtering Facts, a librarian organization that promotes the protection of
children in public libraries, today released a report entitled "Dangerous
Access" that documents 503 incidents of patrons accessing pornography in
public libraries. The report was released at a Washington D.C. press
conference with Rep. Bob Franks, Enough is Enough, the Family Research
Council, the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families,
the National Law Center, and Filtering Facts. The press conference was to
support H.R. 368, a bill that requires filtering software on terminals
accessible to children in schools and libraries.

Children were involved in 245 of the incidents, and 20 involved child
pornography. Among the incidents uncovered were adults deliberately exposing
children to pornography, a molestation, and several attempted molestations.
The 94-page report is available on-line at
http://www.filteringfacts.org/da-main.htm A 578-page version can be ordered
from Filtering Facts (see below).

The report documents 195 incidents of children accessing pornography, at an
average age of 12-years-old. The American Library Association, however,
continues to deny that any problem even exists. Ann Symons, president of the
ALA, recently said, "The whole issue of protecting children has been blown
way out of proportion by the media and those who seek to promote their own
agendas." ALA's main recommendation to libraries has been that they install
"privacy screens" to prevent others from seeing what children and adults are
viewing.

"Not only is ALA denying there is a problem, but their advice to libraries
is to cover up the problem by installing privacy screens", said Filtering
Facts president David Burt. "They want public libraries to literally create
peep show booths for children, except there's no slot for quarters because
taxpayers have already paid the quarter."

To obtain a bound 578-page bound copy of "Dangerous Access", including
photocopies of all original library incident reports included in the report,
send a check or money order for $40 to:

Filtering Facts
210 S. State Street, Suite 7
Lake Oswego, OR 97034

*****************************************************************************
David Burt	President, Filtering Facts
Website: 	http://www.filteringfacts.org
E-Mail:  	David_Burt at filteringfacts.org
Phone/Fax:	503 635-7048


*****************************************************************************
David Burt	President, Filtering Facts
Website: 	http://www.filteringfacts.org
E-Mail:  	David_Burt at filteringfacts.org
Phone/Fax:	503 635-7048