Re: Marni's project/internet restriction

[Ken Umbach <kumbach@UNLIMITED.NET>]

Hi ...

At 09:13 AM 4/7/98 -0400, Chris Finer wrote:
...
>I am firmly convinced that we do our students no favors by artificially
>restricting their internet access.

Why not?  Librarians "artificially restrict" students' access to printed
materials, videos, etc., right?  That is, I doubt very much that your
library includes Penthouse, Hustler, the Weekly World News, etc., or the
ravings of the KKK or American Nazi Party (or even religious tracts such as
Watchtower and Awake), or would even if someone were to donate them.  For
that matter, "weeding" is a big topic on this list, and what is weeding but
a process of DEselection of material ALREADY in the collection (and
sometimes deselecting (read: censoring) clearly for purposes of political
correctness)?

>Finally, the American Library Association puts it simply and very clearly:
>"The American Library Association affirms that the use of filtering
>software by libraries to block access to constitutionally protected speech
>violates the Library Bill of Rights."  Couldn't say it better myself.

And what do they say about the "filtering" activities of *librarians* in
selecting materials to purchase, accept, and retain?  (And don't try to
slide by with some line about limited budgets ... you COULD give up that
extra copy of The Collected Works of Judy Blume in exchange for
subscriptions to The National Enquirer and other supermarket tabloids if the
collection is truly open to all constitutionally protected speech.)

It seems to me that there is a major disconnect and much confusion in
analysis of the librarian's (and library's) role in selecting (read:
filtering) the collection in the age of the Internet.  It is not so simple
as a recitation of bromides about "constititionally protected speech."


Ken
:::donning flame-proof long-johns:::
--
Kenneth W. Umbach, Ph.D., Policy Analyst
California Research Bureau, California State Library
900 N. Street, Suite 300, Sacramento, California 95814
E-mail: kumbach@unlimited.net (or kumbach@library.ca.gov)
Phone (voice) 916-653-6002 (fax) 916-654-5829
Personal Web page and selected papers: http://members.unlimited.net/~kumbach
This message reflects my opinion, not that of my employer or anyone else.

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