Two librarians are among the 17 educators, media and technology experts, and others named to a National Academy of Science panel examining tools and strategies for protecting kids from pornography on the Internet.
Nicholas J. Belkin is a professor at Rutgers University’s School of Communication, Information, and Library Studies whose research involves the ways technology and computers lead to effective problem management. Marilyn Mason has served as director of the Cleveland and Atlanta public libraries and the 1979 White House Conference on Library and Information Services.
The panel, which was mandated by Congress in the Protection of Children from Sexual Predators Act of 1998, will spend 18 months examining and objectively reporting on the various methods available to protect children from pornography and sexual predators on the Internet. Its report will not make specific policy or legislative recommendations, but aims to “promote a more reasoned consideration” of both public-policy options and locally implementable controls. A description of the project and list of members is available on the NAS Web site.
Posted July 10, 2000.