The fact of the matter is, that if these are the things you want to see or read, then do it from home. Computers are affordable for most people and with internet appliances, just for that purpose, well you can see where I am going.
computers are affordable for most people? i think that's an incredibly unfair assumption to make. $800 to $1000 might be pocket change for you (or for me), but it's a alot of money when you're struggling to pay bills, keep your kids clothed, and keep the heat on through the winter.
as a public librarian serving a community where my patrons can't afford to pay off their library fines, i see this daily. many of my users don't have telephones because they either can't afford them or they've been turned off multiple times. one of my regular library users just got a full-time job for $6.50/hour, and she's thrilled, because it's the most she's earned, ever.
these are the same people that frequent my building to use our internet access. over the past couple of years, they've become savvy net users - using free email to keep up with family rather than the phone, surfing for discounts and coupons, and gaining skills that just might someday help them move up and out of minimum wage jobs.
but for now, having a computer at home is a luxury these people cannot even fathom. their kids need school clothes, it's cold and snowy and their boots are falling apart, and public transportation and/or cabs are gets expensive, but there's no other way to get to work.
it's probably not wise 'round these parts to mention how my community is bridging the digital divide, but we're working very hard every single day to promote responsible internet and PC use, IN the public library.
okay, i may be a bit biased, as i am a professional librarian, and have been for almost five years. this issue of censorship is not a new one in libraryland. we debate it in library school, we celebrate Banned Books Week, and we tout the tenets of the First Amendment with glee.
it's a whole different story, though, when censorship is right in your face. my library (a suburban Detroit public library system) faced the net.censorship issue head on about two years ago. to make a very long story short, one member of our city council made net pr0n her pet issue. she resisted every attempt by library staff to train and educate her about how to use our online resources. she instead focused upon the so-called bad things about the Internet, and wanted to filter ALL Internet access at the library.
after a long drawn out battle between the library staff/library commission and the city council, we came to a compromise. we would install filters on our terminals in the children's areas, but the adult section terminals would remain filter-less. we do not require children to use the children's terminals.
it's important to keep a few things in mind when these kinds of issues come up:
public libraries and librarians do not have the right to act in loco parentis. this means we cannot be responsible for your children while they are in our buildings.
if a parent is concerned about what their child may see while using online resources at their public library, the parent needs to come to the library with their child so they can guide their child's use
no filter is 100%. our terminals have the BESS filter running on them. it's always possible that sites which are truly appropriate to a researcher will be blocked because of filter settings. some buzzwords may automatically exclude documents which could be of relevance.
as soon as you tell a kid that they can't see something, they'll find a way to do it. i was one of those kids. i found a way to read/see the things i was told to stay away from.
every community is different. what is important here in the Detroit suburbs may not be of such importance on the other side of the state. one of the most popular uses of our online terminals is for game cheat codes. the BESS terminals won't let kids get to the websites with the PlayStation codes.
it's hard to say with any certainty what is right and what is wrong, and there truly is no absolute right or wrong answer to this issue. every community is unique, as are the library patrons within the community. all we can do, as library users and supporters (and staff) is continue to educate and train the public. instead of focusing on the bad, focus upon the GOOD things that are available online. it's vital that we continue to teach and emphasize the importance of appropriate Internet use, too.
be aware of what is happening in your own community - stop in an visit your public library and see how they're dealing with public access to the internet.
on a parting note, there's an excellent site, Peacefire, http://www.peacefire.org which keeps track of various inetnet censorship issues.
Slashdot Mirror
computers are affordable for most people? i think that's an incredibly unfair assumption to make. $800 to $1000 might be pocket change for you (or for me), but it's a alot of money when you're struggling to pay bills, keep your kids clothed, and keep the heat on through the winter.
as a public librarian serving a community where my patrons can't afford to pay off their library fines, i see this daily. many of my users don't have telephones because they either can't afford them or they've been turned off multiple times. one of my regular library users just got a full-time job for $6.50/hour, and she's thrilled, because it's the most she's earned, ever.
these are the same people that frequent my building to use our internet access. over the past couple of years, they've become savvy net users - using free email to keep up with family rather than the phone, surfing for discounts and coupons, and gaining skills that just might someday help them move up and out of minimum wage jobs.
but for now, having a computer at home is a luxury these people cannot even fathom. their kids need school clothes, it's cold and snowy and their boots are falling apart, and public transportation and/or cabs are gets expensive, but there's no other way to get to work.
it's probably not wise 'round these parts to mention how my community is bridging the digital divide, but we're working very hard every single day to promote responsible internet and PC use, IN the public library.
okay, i may be a bit biased, as i am a professional librarian, and have been for almost five years. this issue of censorship is not a new one in libraryland. we debate it in library school, we celebrate Banned Books Week, and we tout the tenets of the First Amendment with glee.
it's a whole different story, though, when censorship is right in your face. my library (a suburban Detroit public library system) faced the net.censorship issue head on about two years ago. to make a very long story short, one member of our city council made net pr0n her pet issue. she resisted every attempt by library staff to train and educate her about how to use our online resources. she instead focused upon the so-called bad things about the Internet, and wanted to filter ALL Internet access at the library.
after a long drawn out battle between the library staff/library commission and the city council, we came to a compromise. we would install filters on our terminals in the children's areas, but the adult section terminals would remain filter-less. we do not require children to use the children's terminals.
it's important to keep a few things in mind when these kinds of issues come up:
it's hard to say with any certainty what is right and what is wrong, and there truly is no absolute right or wrong answer to this issue. every community is unique, as are the library patrons within the community. all we can do, as library users and supporters (and staff) is continue to educate and train the public. instead of focusing on the bad, focus upon the GOOD things that are available online. it's vital that we continue to teach and emphasize the importance of appropriate Internet use, too.
be aware of what is happening in your own community - stop in an visit your public library and see how they're dealing with public access to the internet.
on a parting note, there's an excellent site, Peacefire, http://www.peacefire.org which keeps track of various inetnet censorship issues.
kate