As information moves into digital formats, library media
specialists are confronted with new issues, including how to:
 | Provide access to appropriate content and deal with content that may
be controversial or inappropriate. Traditional library media
selection practices are not feasible. |
| Deal with a media that is constantly changing -- thousands of new
sites appear daily. |
| Protect users -- the US can not regulate or police an international
media. |
In fall of 2000, the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) was
passed (as an amendment to a major budget appropriations bill). A
copy of the bill can be found at the Center
for Democracy and Technology, and details on the bill are found at
the DPI
website. CIPA places controls on Internet access in schools
and libraries. Major points of the bill include:
| Education institutions
receiving Title III technology funds for the purchase of computers or
to pay costs associated with Internet access must install and use
technology to block or filter access to material is obscene, child
pornography or material that is harmful to minors. Education
institutions that do not comply will lose their Title III funding. |
| Schools and libraries
receiving E-Rate funds must select and use technology that blocks
access by minors to obscenity, child pornography, and "any other
material that the school or library determines to be inappropriate for
minors. |
| Schools and libraries
receiving E-Rate funds must monitor online activities of minors by
either supervisory or technological means. |
| Schools and libraries must
implement use policies that address Internet access to matter
inappropriate for minors; in addition, they must hold at least one
public community meeting on the plan. (This is true even for
independent schools!) |
| Schools will indicate
compliance through self-certification. |
| An administrator, supervisor,
or other authority is allowed to disable the filter for "bona
fide" research or other lawful purposes. |
| The filter mandate goes into
effect 120 days after passage (about April 2001). Schools and
libraries may be able to certify in the first year that they are in
the process of implementing the necessary technology protection
measures. |
Many, including the ALA,
are concerned about the provisions of this law and its
constitutionality. For the purpose of this Web page --
discussion will be limited to compliance with CIPA.
While schools should develop strong acceptable use policies that
address the needs and concerns of their communities, it is worthwhile to
consider acceptable use
policies from other districts.
Filtering programs can limit access to specific Web sties, allow access
to specified sites, or block anything (coming or going) that contains
certain words. Many different products are available. Reviews
are available from Internet Product Watch on filtering
programs and firewalls
and from CNet on online
filtering products.
ALA's
Libraries and the Internet Toolkit: Tips and Guidance for Managing and
Communicating about the Internet provides ideas for schools as
they develop district guidelines on Internet use includes the following
additional methods of maintaining access to appropriate Internet
resources:
| A strong public relations campaign to promote Internet use. |
| User education for both students and their parents to proactively
answer their questions. |
| Privacy screens & desks that may interfere with groupwork but
support privacy. |
| Providing stand-up access only to discourage long use. |
| Setting time limits or requiring sign-ups. |
| Positioning computers so the screens can be seen by the librarian. |
For more information and resources for issues dealing with Internet
access, please see the Internet
access links on my resource
page.
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Needs Analysis
Collection Evaluation
Selection Policies
Budgeting
Acquisitions
Weeding
Censorship
Circulation
Privacy Policies
Internet Access
Web Resources
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