DEAR EDITOR:
A few weeks ago, columnist Doug Meier wrote that
”
the library does an excellent job of preventing porn surfing
…
”
and
”
Library staff understands that the most effective deterrent is
to place terminals in open view, where usage can be monitored and
people’s sense of decency and shame will prevent them from abusing
the privilege.
”
Actually, nothing could be further from the truth.
DEAR EDITOR:
A few weeks ago, columnist Doug Meier wrote that “the library does an excellent job of preventing porn surfing …” and “Library staff understands that the most effective deterrent is to place terminals in open view, where usage can be monitored and people’s sense of decency and shame will prevent them from abusing the privilege.” Actually, nothing could be further from the truth.
Julie Farnsworth, acting county librarian said in a November 2002 Dispatch article, “librarians do not actively monitor or police what patrons are viewing on the Web,” Farnsworth said. For teens and adults, librarians may ask patrons to cease viewing if it disturbs other patrons. “We would only know if someone brought it to our attention,” she said. “We deal with it as a behavioral problem if we’ve had a complaint from another patron, just the same as if someone was arguing loudly.”
The fact that this is the policy today has everything to do with the pressure our group put on the library a few years back. Prior to that, the Gilroy children’s librarian said she would do nothing if she saw a child looking at pornography on library Internet terminals. She said it was no different than if they were looking at a book about guns or abortion. You’ll notice the quote from above states they would “only if someone brought it to our attention.” The library staff does not do an excellent job of preventing porn surfing.
In 2000, David Burt, a librarian from Oregon, conducted a six-month investigation of documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests to public libraries. It uncovered more than two thousand documented incidents of patrons, many of them children, accessing pornography, obscenity and child pornography in the nation’s public libraries.
One can only guess at the numbers today, especially since nearly all of the nation’s public library systems were contacted with freedom-of-information requests, but 71 percent of the public library systems ignored the requests. You can access the full report at http://www.copacommission.org/papers/bi063.pdf.
Don’t kid yourself, Doug. If you are relying on “decency and shame” to prevent porn surfing, all I can say is you are very naive. Decency and shame are in short supply today.
You quote free speech advocate, John Gilmore. How about if I quote from the Supreme Court decision UNITED STATES, et al., APPELLANTS v. AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, INC., et al. from June 2003. “By connecting to the Internet, public libraries provide patrons with a vast amount of valuable information. But there is also an enormous amount of pornography on the Internet, much of which is easily obtained. 201 F. Supp. 2d 401, 419 (ED Pa. 2002). The accessibility of this material has created serious problems for libraries, which have found that patrons of all ages, including minors, regularly search for online pornography. Id., at 406. Some patrons also expose others to pornographic images by leaving them displayed on Internet terminals or printed at library printers. Id., at 423. Congress learned that adults “use library computers to access pornography that is then exposed to staff, passersby, and children,” and that “minors access child and adult pornography in libraries.” But Congress also learned that filtering software that blocks access to pornographic Web sites could provide a reasonably effective way to prevent such uses of library resources.”
Cynthia and I were involved from the beginning with this issue. We still have boxes of documentation, we logged hundreds of hours of research, we went to dozens of meetings and we debated the American Library Association and the American Civil Liberties Union and even spent time testifying on pending legislation in Sacramento together. You are free to form your own opinion, of course. But we are in a uniquely qualified position to provide information to allow a more intelligent opinion.
There is nothing like being there. I know your RLAG experience has proven that to you. And because of that, you cannot accuse Cynthia of having a “paranoid imagination.” Experience has been too adequate a teacher.
Sandi Zappa, Gilroy
Submitted Thursday, March 18
