Week 11 Readings

Sex in the City by Wendy Adamson

            The article discusses the events that took place at the Minneapolis Public Library regarding pornography and public access. The article covers the events that took place and the actions taken by the library to protect their rights.

            While reading the article I felt that the writer did a good job defending their course of action as to why they would ban pornography and install the filters they did. It seems that although there was only a small core group of people using these types of sites, it was affecting a larger group of people. The purpose of the library is to serve the community at large. The fact that this small group was able to lower the attendance at the library so drastically speaks volumes of why I feel their actions were necessary. Not only were these people affecting the patrons that wanted to frequent the library, but the staff. I feel that the people had every right to defend themselves because what these sexual deviants were doing was malicious. Nobody should have to deal with that kind of mistreatment, and although public access is pressed, there is a line that needs to be drawn. Therefore, I feel the library did what they felt was best because nobody, staff or patron should be subjected to being uncomfortable and harassed on a daily basis simply because of twisted entertainment.

Studying Indiana Usage of Internet Filters by Alberta Davis Comer

            The article details a survey done around various libraries in Indiana. Within the report there are detailing of what types of filters are used and the mentalities many hold for what should and should not be involved in filtering information.

            The article has many interesting quotes, but there were a few that especially bothered me about why they did not filter the internet. One of the reasons was that they were in a small rural community and had a very religious base and therefore did not filter and had no problems. Although stereotypical, people that have a religious background tend to shy away from pornography and anything relating to sex. If community members are incredibly evangelical then most likely the very thought of someone of the opposite gender in a compromising situation will having them thinking God will smite them down. The reality is, religion isn’t as prevalent as it used to be and people have different views than they did even 50 years ago. I think it is naïve to think that every community will have the same experiences and therefore, if a library feels that they need to use filters on their material they should not be condemned for their decision.

One Law with Two Outcomes: Comparing the Implementation of CIPA in Public Libraries and Schools by Paul Jaeger and Zheng Yan

Paul Jaeger and Zheng Yan explore how the Children’s Internet Protection Act affects the public library and schools. The paper discusses the legal background and the formulation of CIPA, as well as the results that have occurred based on its implementation.

While reading the article I felt that there is definite grounding in why CIPA is implemented. However, there are issues that I also agree with based on my own experience when trying to do research in school. My high school had some of the highest filters implemented for the internet. Actually it got so bad that at one point I had to create no less than 5 or 6 email accounts because the filter would constantly blog the website. As students, we tried various shortcuts that would allow us to check or mail for about a week and then we had to move to a new email account. It was very frustrating, especially when we had to do research. Many of the sites we wanted to go to that would be considered helpful, were blocked. It took ages to do research due to the constant blocking on sites. I think the article makes a valid point that the filters should be high for younger students than older because older students may have to access information that may be blocked. For example it took hours to find information on the school computer on sexually transmitted diseases because every site was blocked. Mostly the blocks were because of the word sexual being in the search. The act has merit, but there should be a review as to whether or not it will cause more harm than good, especially in the age where the internet reigns supreme.

Please Disable the Entire Filter by Todd Anten

            The article discusses the events leading up to the reasons behind the Phoenix Public Library installing filters on the internet.

            I think it is interesting that many of the people that were claiming that what the library was doing was unconstitutional. In my mind, the library was doing something that would protect them from further problems. There is a line that must be drawn between what is research and what is “research”. Many people access the internet for personal information or needs, like facebook or myspace. This is fine, but when content on the computer can be accessed by others whether it be by history or “accidental” viewing while passing is still an issue. The library is there to serve the community and many people may read, watch, or access sites that are not appropriate on a regular basis, there is a line that must be drawn at the library. People come to the library because they feel that it is a safe and friendly place to go, not only that, but many can, “get away from it all” if they really need to. This does not mean that the library should put up with everything that is thrown at them. At other institutions or businesses, if a person is caught in doing something that is unfavorable, they lose their job. Why should the library put up with it simply because they serve everyone? I think that there is more than one constitutional right being broken and it is not by the library.

Public Access Technologies in Public Libraries: Effects and Implications by John Carlo Bertot

The article relays the implications the public library experiences by using public access technologies. Most of the paper discusses the amount of public access that public libraries provide.

            One of the interesting pieces of information pointed out was the external pressures on PATs. The beginning of the section discusses all of the expectations placed on the library by the public for “functionality”. What is completely overlooked, however, is that what the library provides is a service. They do have to provide certain things, but all the expectations seems to be almost impossible to meet. The library has different business partners, separate contracts, and various other things that need to get done. Therefore, it seems unfair of the patrons and library users to come in and think of it as a luxury spa with the all-inclusive deals given by other companies or things sited. It should be expected that some things will not work as well as others, but every library is different and though they are trying to do their best in reality people have to remember that the internet is a fairly new frontier. Not only that, but it is constantly changing. Until a better understanding is reached of all the implications the library has, people should simply understand that the library will not be able to meet the unrealistic views that many may hold for the library.