Filtering the Internet in American Public Libraries: Sliding down the slippery slope

First Monday

Volumn 2, Issue 10, 1997, Pages

  Bastian, Jeannette Allis ^a,b  

^a United States Virgin Islands ^*  (United States)

^b UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 0345323127     PISSN: 13960466     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.5210/fm.v2i10.557     Document Type: Review

References (34)

1. Ann Curry, 1997. The Limits of Tolerance: Censorship and Intellectual Freedom in Public Libraries. London: Scarecrow, p. 10.
2. "1996 Shows Decline in Book Challenges," Library Journal, April 1, 1997, p. 18.
3. The 1996 National Survey of Public Libraries and the Internet: Progress and Issues: Final Report, retrieved April 18, 1997 from the World Wide Web at http://www.syr.edu/Project/Faculty/McClure-NSPL96_3.html, p. 1.
4. Dee Garrison, 1979. Apostles of Culture, The Public Librarian and American Society, 1876-1920. New York: Free Press, p. x1v.
5. For further discussion of these issues see L. Bob Murray, 1996. "The Case for Quality Book Selection," Library Journal (June 15), p. s1-s2, a reprint of an article originally published in the September 15, 1982 issue;
6. and Ann Curry, 1997. The Limits of Tolerance, Censorship and Intellectual Freedom in Public Libraries. London: Scarecrow Press.
7. Curry, p. 50. In this study, library directors discuss their selections polices in these widely polarized terms.
8. For a complete listing and discussion of the Interpretations see the Intellectual Freedom Manual, compiled by the Office of Intellectual Freedom (Chicago: American Library Association, 1996).
9. Editorial, New York Times, June 28, 1997, p. 18.
10. A copy of ALA's Resolution on the Use of Filtering Software in Libraries appeared on the e-mail list of the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, July 7, 1997.
11. "Access to Electronic Information, Services and Networks: an Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights," American Libraries, Volume 27 (March 1996), p. 30.
12. "Libraries Tackle Issues of Internet Access," Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom, Volume 156, Number 2, (March 1997), p. 1 et al.
13. Mary Minow, 1997. "Filtering the First Amendment For Public Libraries: A Legal Framework," (rev. 4/24/97) retrieved from the World Wide Web on July 12, 1997, from www-leland.stanford.edu/~minow/filte.htm.
14. Minow explains that traditional public forums are in only three places: streets, parks and sidewalks; however, over the years, additional places have been added. These additional places are called 'designated public forums.' and enjoy the same status as a public forum. Public libraries are considered 'limited public forums' because "libraries have opened themselves up to expressive activity - specifically the activity of RECEIVING information." See also Gordon B. Baldwin, 1996. "The Library Bill of Rights - A Critique," Library Trends Volume 45 (Summer), p. 11, who maintains that since the library is a designated rather than an open public forum it has the right to set reasonable rules for the public.
15. Marilyn Gell Mason, 1997. "Sex, Kids, and the Public Library," American Libraries, Volume 28 (June/July), p. 104.
16. Louis B. Rosenfeld and Maurita P. Holland, 1994. "Automated Filtering of Internet Postings," Online, Volume 18, Number 3 (May), pp. 27-30.
17. Karen Schneider, 1997. "TIFAP: The Internet Filter Assessment Project Preliminary Report, Phase 2," retrieved July 12, 1997 from the World Wide Web at http://www.bluehighways.com/tifap/test%201.htm
18. See www6.pilot.infi.net/~carolyn/guide.html, data retrieved July 30, 1997.
19. Norman Oder, 1997. "Krug's Toughest Fight," Library Journal, Volume 122 (May 1), p. 41.
20. "Cybersitter keeping kids safe," retrieved from the World Wide Web July 29,1997 at www.solidoak.com/cysitter.htm
21. "Net Nanny, the Best Way to Protect Your Children and Free Speech on the Net," retrieved from the World Wide Web July 29, 1997, at http://www.netnanny.com/
22. "N2H2's Statement of Filtering Philosophy," retrieved from the World Wide Web July 29, 1997, at www.n2h2.com/schools/phi.htm
23. Declan McCullagh, 1996. "Jacking In From the 'Keys to the Kingdom' Port," Cyberwire Dispatch, retrieved from the World Wide Web July 30,1997, at http://www.eff.org/pub/publications/declan_mccullagh/%20cwd.keys.to.the. kingdom.0796
24. "The Library Channel Enables Safe Surfing at Public Libraries," retrieved from the World Wide Web July 15, 1997, at www.vimpact.net/announce. htm
25. "The Library Channel Forum," retrieved from the World Wide Web July 15, 1997, at http://www.vimpact.net/announce.htm
26. Paul Resnick and James Miller, 1997. "PICS: Internet Access Controls Without Censorship," retrieved July 12, 1997 from the World Wide Web, at www.W3.org/pub
27. "Librarians To Test Internet Filters," Library Journal, Volume 122 (June 1, 1997), p. 13.
28. Jon Katz, 1997. "To Be Young, Cyber, and Free," Netizen (April 18-20), retrieved from the World Wide Web on July 12, 1997, at www.hotwired.com/netizen/netizen/97/15/katz4a.html
29. "About Filtering Facts," retrieved from the World Wide Web on July 20, 1997, at www.Filteringfacts.org/about.htm
30. "Internet Blocking Software: Online Savior or Scourge?" Library Journal, Volume 122 (April 1, 1997) pp. 16-17.
31. Ellen Goodman, 1997. "Boston Library Finds One Way to Protect Kids from Cyberporn," Daily News of the Virgin Islands (July 25), p. 13.
32. "Access to Electronic Information, Services, and Networks: an Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights," American Libraries, Volume 27 (March 1996), insert.
33. "Table One: Summary Data For All Policies," (N=116), retrieved from the World Wide Web July 30, 1997, at www.ci.oswego.or.us/library/pol-sum. htm
34. Norman Oder, 1997. "Outsourcing Model - Or Mistake? The Collection Development Controversy in Hawaii," Library Journal, Volume 122 (March 15), pp. 28-31. Under pressure from librarians and state legislatures, the State Library had to reverse its decision to out-source all its public library book ordering to the vendor Baker and Taylor.