Bravo!

From the DC-SLA library list:

The DC Public Library Board voted last night NOT to comply with the Children’s Internet Protection Act and leave their Internet connections unfiltered at the present time. The decision followed a public hearing held at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, September 8, 2004 where representatives from the National Academies, the American Library Association, and the American Civil Liberties Union made presentations. The public hearing focused on education for the Library Board and members of the public about the CIPA legislation, the effectiveness of filters, and the pros and cons of
complying with the law.

By their decision, the DC Public Library will forfeit over $90,000 in FY2005 funding from the Federal Communications Commission’s E-Rate fund. The LSTA Funding the library receives (over $700,000) is not affected because it is not used to purchase computers, wiring, or Internet service. The speakers also addressed that while the DC Public Library will be losing funds this year, they are still able to receive both E-Rate and LSTA funds in the future for activities unassociated with Internet connectivity. The DC Public Library will comply with the broader requirements of the law including the establishment of an “Internet Safety Policy” and a public hearing on the issue of Internet safety.

The final motion of the Board stated both that the DC Public Library would not filter the Internet connections in the Library at this time but that the Board would like to pursue the feasibility of offering filtered access to patrons and parents at some time in the future. The option of filtering was suggested by some of the evenings’ speakers if the selection can be established using “smart cards” or other technology that allows the patron or parent control over their selection without the intervention of library staff.

The information presented to the Library Board by Herb Lin of the National Academies, Emily Sheketoff of the American Library Association, and Art Spitzer of the American Civil Liberties Union emphasized the role of education in protecting children from objectionable materials. All the speakers addressed the ways that filtering products can inhibit access to constitutionally protected speech and vital health and medical information.

For more information on the Board’s decision you can contact the Library Council, Grace Perry-Gaither at
(202) 727-1101.