Lake Oswego City Council Rejects
Library Internet Restrictions
The Lake Oswego (Oreg.) city council voted 6–1 September 21 to retain the public library’s six-month-old Internet policy, which offers filters on children’s-room computers but gives users the choice of filtered or unfiltered access on all other terminals. Opponents, who want to make filtered use mandatory for patrons under age 18, presented the council with a petition signed by 1,297 people objecting to the policy. They also want signs posted stating that adults who show sexually explicit material to children are violating state law.
Director Carole Dickerson characterized the library’s policy as a “middle-of-the-road” approach. The board originally wanted no filters at all, but decided that placing filters in the children’s department would be “a good compromise.” The council subsequently told the board to compromise further by offering the filtered/unfiltered option on other computers, Dickerson told American Libraries.
The council also called on the board to investigate software that will give parents the ability to control the level of access that their children are permitted, the Portland Oregonian reported September 23.
Posted September 27, 1999.
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